Something Wicked
by barbiedollsaway
Summary: Something wicked is heading towards Storybrooke and Emma will need her courage, her brains, and her heart to defeat it.
1. Chapter 1

"I don't know why, Red, I just don't believe in happily ever afters." Emma took a sip from her hot cocoa and wondered when this had become HER drink? Maybe because ever since Henry had found her it seemed as if her entire life needed a healthy dose of a comfort drink like hot cocoa. She pulled her thoughts form her beverage and looked up into the disbelieving eyes of her friend who was regarding her as if she had grown a third head. Emma had to stop herself from checking; in Storybrooke it wasn't entirely impossible that she had actually grown at least one other head.

"But- but your PARENTS are perfect examples of happily ever after!" Ruby gawked at her as she continued the conversation inadvertently started by a weird reference Belle had made to 'Wuthering Heights'. Emma snapped a retort before thinking.

"I admire my parents and what they have, but who lost their happily ever afters so that they could have theirs? The REAL Prince Charming? Snow's parents? The people whose king went bankrupt? The soldiers who fought and died for them and their families? Regina?" Emma added the last almost as an afterthought but before she could give the addition much thought she heard a loud gasp sound from behind her. She turned with a guilty start hoping it wasn't her parents. As much as she didn't believe in their story she didn't want to hurt them with a thoughtless snappy comment. Instead her eyes fell upon Regina's who quickly look away- but not before Emma could wonder at the array of emotions in the other woman's eyes. She turned back towards Ruby and nursed her drink.

"Wow, Emma, you have some serious issues to work through."

"Yeah, well, you're a werewolf." Ruby laughed and snapped the towel with which she was wiping the counter at Emma. Emma cracked a smile and swiped her to go cup from the counter. "See you later, Red."

Emma ran her hands through her hair with an irritable sigh. She didn't know that being the sheriff of a town as relatively quiet as Storybrooke would have so much frigging paperwork. She checked her watch suspiciously suspecting that the hands were ticking backwards for every two ticks forward. So intent was she on confirming her suspicions that she missed the tell tale click of the mayor's heels coming towards her.

"Ms. Swan, I do believe that the watch is innocent of whatever you suspect it." Emma clawed the air as a small meep passed her lips. Her eyes landed on Regina as she tried to calm her racing heart. Her eyes narrowed at the satisfied smirk on the other woman's lips.

"Madame Mayor, to what do I owe the... pleasure... of your visit?" Emma was satisfied as the mayor's smirk slid off her lips.

"Well I'm certainly not here to witness you shaking down your watch." She smiled as Emma pulled the sleeve of her red leather jacket down over the offensive article. "I'm here for the paperwork the dwarves dropped off concerning the prospective mining operation."

"Oh yeah, Leroy did drop off something now that you mentioned it." She shuffled through the piles of paperwork on her desk as she muttered to herself. Standing, she walked over to her file cabinet and pulled open a drawer only to have several files seem to leap into the air and fall out onto the floor.

"Really, Ms. Swan," Regina began irritably as the papers fell, "I would expect the town's only sheriff to be somewhat more organized. You were entrusted with a grave responsibility."

"Well I wouldn't have been entrusted with the responsibility of keeping up with paperwork intended for you if everyone didn't avoid you like the plague," Emma shot back. "Maybe you should set up a drop box or something for people to use."

"Nonsense. It isn't my concern if the citizens of this town don't have a drop of courage between them."

"Yeah, well you did torture, murder, and enslave them." She turned to see the surprised O of Regina's mouth. "I mean, I'm right, right?"

"Yes, you are CORRECT," Regina said with added emphasis on the word. Honestly, did no one speak proper grammar except her?

"I can't find them." Emma said with a sigh as she shuffled the piles on her desk for the ninth time. "They're here somewhere," she said gesturing to the spectacular mess on her desk. Regina sighed and pulled up a chair.

"Ms. Swan, sit down and let's sort through your paperwork. I really do have to have that file today or I would leave you to your own futile devices."

Emma bit off a snarky retort, acknowledging with her silence the need for assistance. She could hear Regina click her tongue as they sorted through the paperwork, sometimes outright expressing her disbelief at how long something had sat on Emma's desk. They also found the Milky Way that Emma had lost the previous week and she ate it with a happy hum as she continued shuffling paper around.

"For the love of... Ms. Swan, you are just moving paper from corner of your desk to the other. Why don't you take this opportunity to actually finish some of this paperwork and file it properly?"

"Well that would require a proper filing cabinet and uh... well, you see, it's a funny story really, but between breaking curses, saving your life, getting swept away to the Enchanted Forest, etc, I haven't had time to go about, you know, setting up a proper filing system." Regina regarded Emma with cool, dark eyes.

"Well, luckily for you, a lot of this paperwork is coming to me. I am going to hand you items for you to finish and we can work from there."

Emma was content to do as Regina said. It was actually nice to have someone come in and take charge of the mess in her life for once. She would never admit to that in a thousand years, but just today, with a belly full of Milky Way and a terrific view of Regina's legs, she would admit it to herself.

Speaking of which, the mayor's grey skirt was sliding up her leg to a level that allowed Emma to see well up to mid thigh. She silently reprimanded herself for perving on the mayor, but there it was. With her legs crossed the way they were, each time Regina leaned forward her skirt would slide up a bit more. Emma began deliberately moving the papers a little further out of reach. However, as Regina leaned forward to reach for the stack Emma had moved, Emma noticed how the buttons on the mayor's silk shirt flared open and the cleavage dipped. Black lace slipped in and out of view and Emma leaned forward as much as could without drawing attention to herself.

Emma's mind race as she imagined running her tongue down the valley between the mayor's breasts as her hands slipped each of her shirt's buttons free of it's confinement. She dropped her gaze to the mayor's exposed legs and wondered if they felt as silky as they looked. She unconsciously traced her lips with her tongue as she imagined nibbling and licking, a leg over each of her shoulders as she sought out the treasure at the center...

Unfortunately Emma underestimated how far she was now leaning forward in contrast to how much pressure she was placing behind her on her chair... a chair which had wheels. Once the chair remembered how to be a chair with wheels it flew out behind her and Emma dropped to the ground hitting her chin on her desk on the way down. She grabbed anything she could think of to stop her fall and ended up on the ground surrounded by falling papers. She lay stunned, tasting the blood in her mouth from her lip.

"I deserved that," she said softly and then realized Regina was standing and peering over at her a look of surprise lifting her eyebrows.

"Emma! Are you OK?" As Emma grabbed the desk and staggered to her feet with a muttered yes she was surprised as the mayor burst out laughing. "I'm so s-s-s-sorry. You should have seen it!" Regina's shrieks of laughter had the woman doubled over and Emma could only watch in open mouthed amazement. She never knew how delightful the sound of Regina's laughter could be. She found herself smiling in spite of the lump rising on her chin and her busted lip.

"I would have loved to have seen it but I was the one, unfortunately, living it. Glad that you are so concerned," Emma said wryly as Regina's laughter began to trail off into hiccups. Her comment had the woman practically rolling in her chair, feet kicking and all. Emma glared at Regina's chair resentfully as it sturdily maintained position and did it's chairly duty. Regina eyes shone into Emma's as they shared a smile.

"Come with me to the facilities, dear, and let's see if we can clean you up. Honestly, how on earth did you fall out of your chair like that?"

"I don't know," Emma responded as quickly as she could, her words tripping over themselves. "I'm sorry about the paperwork; I know you need that file."

"It's OK, I found it about twenty minutes ago. We were making so much progress and you looked so dedicated I didn't want to stop until we were finished." Regina wet a tissue and began to dab at Emma's chin. Regina was standing so close that Emma could smell what was uniquely her, a smell of jasmine and vanilla. Her breath hitched in her throat as Regina's eyes lifted to hers and, for the first time, Emma noticed the amber in the woman's dark eyes that caught the light. Emma's eyes dropped to Regina's full lips and wanted to dip lower but she stopped herself in time.

"Thanks, but I can handle it," Emma said huskily, taking the tissue from Regina. As she did their fingers brushed and Emma almost groaned at the sensory overload.

"I'm sure you can," Regina said, her own voice husky and colored with some other emotion that Emma decided she wasn't ready to decipher. Emma's hand stalled halfway to her lips at the double entendre but before she could say or do anything further – luckily for her because she was certain it would lead to further embarrassment- Regina grabbed her things and with a called out goodbye, left as quickly as she had arrived.

"Hi, Snow, David," Emma said as she kicked the door closed behind her. Her parents were laughing and talking quietly at the kitchen table engrossed in one another and hadn't heard the door open. Emma could only imagine what sort of conversation would entail so much attention that one wouldn't hear a door open and someone stagger into a room not ten feet away. Maybe the same sort of thing that would cause one to fall out of a chair...

"Emma, darling, we waited dinner for you," Snow said with a smile as she watched her daughter throw her jacket over the newel post. The smile was replaced with a concerned gasp as Emma turned and she saw her lip and chin. "What happened?"

"Regina and I were doing some paperwork-"

"Regina?!" Snow and David both said angrily and at once. "Can't be trusted" and "should have locked her away" soon followed as Emma tried to get their attention.

"Guys, GUYS! HEY!" They both quieted and looked at her. "She didn't do anything. I... fell out of a chair," she said, sitting down in her chair. "Wow, something smells delicious!"

"You, fell out of a chair...", David began and just shook his head as though clearing it.

"No one pushed you?" Snow continued, her hand rubbing soothing circles on Emma's arm. Emma wondered if this is what it would have been like as a child. For the first time she saw the potential her parents had to be helicopter parents and she almost felt lucky.

"No, mom, I promised. I leaned too far forward and the wheels flew backwards and I ended up on the floor. I've never heard Regina laugh like that," she added as an afterthought as Swan shared a look with Charming as though to say "she's YOUR daughter".

Emma's cell rang midway through dinner and Snow stared disapprovingly as Emma answered the call.

"Sheriff, just thought you should know, an out of towner just checked in. Staying in your old room as a matter of fact." Emma bit off the hello she was about to say and thanked Granny for the information.

"Have Red text me the information and I'll run them tomorrow. Call me if anything seems unusual or if they leave."

David and Snow regarded her as she hung up. As her dad and as her deputy David always wanted to know everything that was going on in the town. She supposed that he saw himself as the ruler of the people and wanted to be involved in the protection of them. Snow and David were content to let Regina remain the mayor of Storybrook as no one else had any idea of how she dealt with the outside world, but otherwise the town's decisions were usually made at the table at which they were eating dinner. As the text came in from Ruby Emma relayed the information to her parents.

"Late model red Lincoln, tag blah blah blah, driven by a female, long red hair, has a small terrier, checked in under an obvious pseudonym..."

"Which is?" David asked, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice. Not for the first time Emma could imagine him gathering the torches and pitchforks and hunting down... Regina. The thought made her feel uncomfortable and oddly protective of her role as sheriff and the protector of EVERYONE in town and not just those Prince Charming deemed worthy of protection. Emma sighed and shook her head. She knew that Charming was her father, but it was a lot harder garnering emotions of love for him, much more difficult that it had been with Snow. She supposed it was because she had lived with Snow as Mary Margaret and had grown to love and respect her as a friend. She had seen David as an adulterer who had bounced between two women hurting both. She had a hard time gathering even respect for him much less an emotion like love. Sometimes, though, when she had had a bad dream, she would remember the story Snow had told her of her father holding her carefully and protectively in his arms as he battled Regina's soldiers to send her to what they thought would be safety. David cleared his throat and Emma shook the dark thoughts.

"Dorothy Gale," Emma said.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm just saying that I don't believe in _True Love,_" Emma said as she pulled back the tab on her to go cup of cocoa. Ruby stared at her as though she had sprouted five arms. Emma did a double-check just to be certain she hadn't as what she had just said closely resembled blasphemy in these parts.

"You are the product of true love! How on earth can you sit there and say that you don't believe in it?" Emma traced back the course of the conversation to an off hand comment Belle had made regarding Helen of Troy.

"First of all, I can't even begin to tell you how very much I loathe being called a product like I am my parents main export. Secondly, let me rephrase what I said." Emma took a quick drink of her hot cocoa then had to wait a moment while she waited for her tongue to cool. "That's hot," she said while whistling air over her tongue.

"Well, hot cocoa," Ruby shrugged. "You were saying?"

"The reason my parents are regarded as the classical case of true love is because they have always found one another, stood by each other, and never given up hope for one another. What I read in that is that their love is the product of who they themselves are." At Ruby's confused look, Emma explained, trying to put her thoughts as simplistically as possible. "Anyone can love. What is different about the love your parents shared as opposed to the love my parents shared? Is it because they're royalty where they're from and everyone knows their story? Who holds the right to claim this love is true and that love is true? When people claim that a love is true it is because they're looking at a deeper picture than the love itself. They are looking at the people who have held true to their love."

She heard a surprised gasp from behind her and turned around with a quick glance. She hadn't said anything against her parents but she still wouldn't want them walking in and hearing her talk about them as though she were dissecting them. Her gaze fell upon Regina's surprised eyes and she watched as the woman quickly looked away. Emma couldn't place the emotions she saw on the other woman's face and before she could think about it Ruby continued.

"The for dummies version, Emma. Nutshell it for me."

"I think love is only as true as the people who love are." Ruby chuckled and shook her head as she accepted Emma's money.

"You really need to get out more."

"Yeah, well we can't all howl out our feelings at the moon," Emma smiled through her words as Ruby threw a doughnut at her. Catching it Emma quickly shoved a bite in her mouth before mumbling around a mouthful of pastry, "You threw it at me so now it's mine." She grabbed her to go cup and turned to go as the door to the diner banged open and cut red head dressed all in cornflower blue and white rushed in.

"Can anyone please tell me when the sheriff's department will open? The sign says eight but it's now after eight and no one is there." She proceeded to wring her hands fretfully. Emma checked her watch, thinking to herself that she had finally caught it up to it's time twisting shenanigans. 8:03 it read. Her eyes caught Regina's who was looking at her with a smirk as she checked her own watch. There was no feeling in the world like having your boss witness someone bust you out for tardiness. The mayor stood and walked towards the woman.

"Hello, I'm Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke and the woman over there who's mouth is stuffed with a doughnut is the sheriff." She held out her hand and the woman gratefully accepted it.

"I'm Dorothy, Dorothy Gale. I have a terrible problem and Toto and I have been waiting all night to speak with the sheriff." At the mention of his name a small black terrier popped his head out of the woman's handbag and barked. Emma was impressed as Regina barely flinched in surprise as she herself nearly did a double take in surprise. She had to take a long drink of hot cocoa to not choke on the doughnut she had stuffed in her mouth. Her tongue was now working on third degree burns.

"Sheriff, if you are quite finished with your conversation can you please meet us in your office." Emma rolled her eyes and headed towards the door as Regina directed the woman towards the sheriff's station. Emma hurried to get there first and straighten up before Regina and her guest arrived. She could hear their voices fast approaching and as the woman mentioned something about a terrible storm, Emma opened her desk drawers and raked everything into them. As the two rounded the corner and came into view Emma was closing the drawers except for one, which was stuck. She leaned into it hoping it would close and Regina's eyes landed on her just as the drawer slid home and Emma nearly sprawled across her desk.

"Oh my, Sheriff! Are you alright?" The woman named Dorothy hurried forward as Emma straightened.

"Yes, I'm OK. That drawer sticks sometimes..." Emma looked down as she felt something hit her shoe. A stream of cocoa was leaking from the drawer and with a start Emma realized that she had put her cocoa and doughnut onto her desk before sliding everything into the now closed drawers. She closed her eyes with a grimace and when she opened them the first thing she saw was Regina looking at her with her arms crossed angrily. Her eyes promised they would have a lot to say about this later.

"Oh my goodness, your floor!" Dorothy said and Emma quickly sat down and with a few graceless rocks of her chair managed to slide it over the wet spot widening on the floor.

"It will be fine," Regina said, taking the woman's hand and directing her to a seat opposite Emma. Regina took the open chair beside her and patted the woman's arm as she looked into the mayor's eyes and thanked her profusely. "Now, dear, what can the sheriff and I do to assist?"

"There is a terrible storm coming this way. Toto and I are terrified it will try and steal us away again!" At his name Toto jumped out of the bag and barked once more. Regina's expression was unreadable as the terrier used her as a stepping stool to the floor. "Toto, that was rude!" Dorothy said, her voice lilting as she reprimanded the dog. Emma and Regina shared a look.

"A... storm?"

"Yes, sheriff a terrible storm sent to bring me back over the rainbow." Emma's jaw dropped. She lived in a town where the seven dwarves were real, Snow White and Prince Charming were her parents, the evil queen was the mayor, a werewolf was her best friend and ran a diner, the mad hatter was the resident mad scientist- and let's not forget Dr. Frankenstein- but the woman claiming to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz left her stunned and she barely suppressed the urge to laugh.

"Oh, dear," Regina said, and Emma's laughter stopped in her throat at the worry she heard in the other woman's voice.

"What?" Emma asked, intrigued as Dorothy nodded morosely.

"She's on her way right now?" Regina asked and Dorothy nodded once more.

"Who?" Emma asked, leaning forward.

"She will never let us go," Dorothy said and Toto leaped into her arms and began licking the tears off the woman's cheeks.

"Why?" Emma asked. For the first time she let herself look over the red head as she recalled what she could of the child's tale. Admittedly she had only ever seen the movie but she thought that Dorothy had killed her nemesis. Regina patted the woman's arm and Emma saw the mayor trying to keep the worry from filtering through her mask. Dorothy appeared to calm down just looking into the steady eyes of the dark haired woman. Emma had to admit that she was surprised to see Regina in the role of compassion and nurture. "Will one of you please let me in on what's going on here? Oh, and please don't sing it..." Emma said, looking down and adjusting her jacket. She looked up to three sets of eyes, yes even canine, regarding her. "It's a legit statement. They sang all the time in the movie."

"Please forgive Sheriff Swan. She speaks whatever pops into that blonde head of hers without taking the time to think over ANY of it." Oh yeah, Regina was definitely going to give her an earful later. "I will fill in the sheriff after I have taken you somewhere safe. Don't worry," the mayor said hushing the worried words beginning to spill from Dorothy's lips, "you are in the presence of Storybrooke's very own Saviour- someone who has beaten a dragon, broken my curse, and, more importantly, bested my mother." As Dorothy's eyes flew open in shock Regina nodded. "Call Gold, Sheriff Swan. Have him come immediately. Please ask him to bring Belle with him."

Emma reached for her phone and realized that she had pushed it into a drawer as well. She picked up the line the closed drawer she had shoved closed had cut. She patted her pockets looking for her cell phone. After searching for a few moments she found it sitting face down in the cocoa on the floor. She picked it up with a sigh as its screen flashed white then fluttered into blackness. She looked up and saw Dorothy watching her with a puzzled expression and Regina standing stone faced.

"She broke your curse?" Dorothy asked after a moment and Emma felt her chest swell with outrage.

"Hard to believe, isn't it," Regina asked, her words more a statement that a question. Dorothy nodded and Toto barked.

"Hey, I'm right here. I can hear everything you're saying." Regina handed Emma her phone and Emma looked at her in surprise.

"Please make the call from my phone which you will return to me in the same condition in which I gave it to you. I am going to take Dorothy to her room to gather her things. Please meet us there with Gold and Belle once they've arrived."

"Of course." Emma took the phone from Regina. As their fingers briefly touched she felt the same awareness of the other woman rise in her, the awareness that was purely physical as though something primitive were awakening inside of her. She looked into Regina's eyes and saw the amber lights darkening into an emotion that Emma decided she would explore later. She watched as Regina and Dorothy left, her eyes dropping to take in the way the mayor's ass moved in her fitted slacks.

She unlocked the screen to Regina's phone and Henry's smiling face greeted her. His eyes were alight with laughter and he looked so open and young that Emma sat on the floor just staring. His eyes were a dark hazel and around the centers they darkened almost to the color of Regina's. It was almost as if the two really had created a son together. Emma's eyes trailed over his face and she could see herself and Regina in each angle and shape. Wait... she meant Neil. Yes, wait, no, she meant... she had a call to make.

"Your Majesty," Gold answered with a sneer.

"Gold, it's Emma. We need you and Belle to the sheriff's station immediately."

"Emma?" The sneer dropped from his voice and was replaced by confusion. "Is Henry alright?" Emma felt her heart warm at the concern in the older man's voice.

"Henry is fine, but we have a much larger problem. I'll tell you when you get here." As she hung up the phone a flash of light caught her eye. Was it her imagination or did she just see lightning in the distance. The imagine of the terror on Dorothy's face as she spoke of the terrible storm heading their way flashed through Emma's mind and she shivered.

She walked closer to the window and saw her father doing his rounds, his boots hitting the sidewalk purposefully. She watched Charming pause, his eyebrows crunching in concern as he looked towards where Emma had seen the lightning. She knew from where he was there was no way he could have seen it, but it warmed her heart to know that he felt it. He stood for long moments, watching and listening, his body still as he sensed the threat coming towards them. He turned towards the station and a smile crossed his features. Not aware that he was being watched, her father didn't hide his features and Emma gasped at the look of love, longing, and pride that crossed her father's face as he gazed at the building where he knew his daughter was hard at work. As the wind picked up around them, he continued his rounds, his mind taking ceaseless notes and inventory of everyone and everything as his senses repeated that a threat was heading their way.

"Dearie? You asked to see us?" Emma turned in surprise. "Are you OK? Has something happened?" He asked worriedly as Belle's face fell into a mask of sympathy. Emma realized that her eyes were filled with unshed tears and she cleared her throat gruffly.

"I just need to dust more. That window is exacerbating all sorts of allergies and.. stuff. Anyway, Regina specifically requested the two of you. We had a visitor arrive during the night and she needs your help."

"My help comes with a price, dearie. Doing something once doesn't mean I've become the white knight. That's your job, if I'm not mistaken." Belle looked at him disapprovingly and Gold cleared his throat and looked away. "What is it?"

"A storm is coming. It's following Dorothy and Toto."

"What? That isn't a storm that's following those two. What is following them is something that no one here is equipped to deal with! Why on earth would Dorothy have run here?"

"Well, in this world, where else would she go?" Belle asked, her hands on Gold's arm soothing him. Emma could see his chest swell as he patted Belle's hand protectively.

"Don't dilly dally, dear. Take us to them. I know what Regina wants from me."

"What?" Emma and Belle asked in unison and Gold shook his head with a harsh laugh, his eyes landing on Emma's.

"Something you aren't going to like one bit, Ms. Swan."


	3. Chapter 3

"It isn't that I don't believe in destiny, I'm just saying that I don't believe in fate," Emma said as Ruby looked at her in shock passing Emma her to-go cup of cocoa.

"You, yourself, were fated to stop the curse and you did!"

"No, I was _destined _to break the curse, but I still had a choice whether I wanted to do it or not."

"Well of course you wanted to do it."

"Did I? I didn't even realize what I was doing when it happened. Besides, I don't believe the curse is truly broken. I think I... splintered it when I finally admitted that I truly loved someone for the first time in my life and truly accepted that they loved me." Ruby looked at her as though she had morphed into a monster right in front of her. Just to be safe, Emma checked herself in the reflection of her watch face- not that she trusted anything it showed her. "Besides, if I were fated to break the curse then I believe fate would demand someone pay for it. In the stories fate always demands the ultimate sacrifice either from the curse wielder or the one breaking it. If I am the Swan then I would have to die to truly break the curse because that's what always happens to the Swan Queen." Emma heard a gasp behind her and turned to see Regina gawking at her before turning back to her cup of coffee. "Why is she..." Emma began but Ruby interrupted her before she could finish the thought.

"I've never thought of it that way," Ruby said quietly and Emma was surprised to see the woman's eyes shining with tears. "But I don't believe fate is like that. How can you believe in destiny but not fate?" Ruby asked, her eyes a myriad of sadness and incomprehensibility. Emma thought back over the conversation that had begun with Belle casually mentioning something about the Sword of Damocles. Emma turned to Belle who still happened to be sitting on the stool beside her.

"Belle, you get what I'm saying, right?" At Belle's look of utter compassion Emma began sputtering. "Look, I just believe everyone has a choice, ok? If I wish, I could CHOOSE to throw this cocoa at the both of you even though somewhere it might be written that I WILL. Even if I did throw it, I could choose to throw it anywhere else other than where something somewhere is written that I will throw it. I believe that people are free to choose. I don't know if I truly believe in destiny but I can admit there could be such a thing, but I will never confess to even remotely believing in fate. No one is fated to be anything; you choose who you are by the choices you make along your path. Maybe you choose to make your destiny your path and maybe you don't."

"Why do you believe the curse isn't fully broken?" Regina asked suddenly and Emma turned on her stool to meet her eyes. Her emerald eyes were missing their usual sparkle of humor and imagination and the cold seriousness in them gave Regina a small chill.

"Because you are all still here with no way to get home; you can't even cross the town line without forgetting who are, which, if I'm not mistaken, was the curse's effect." The diner fell into a silence so absolute that Emma shifted uncomfortably on her stool. Regina opened her mouth but whatever she was about to say was lost as Gold shuffled into the diner breaking the mood of the four women.

"We are ready," he said quietly and the three women turned to follow him. Ruby grabbed Emma's hand as she stood and smiled into her eyes.

"I believe in you, Emma Swan," she said so sincerely that Emma's breath caught in her throat. She released her and turned as Granny shouted from the back for Ruby's assistance.

"Yeah, well, you lick your butt when the moon's full so what do you know," Emma said and Ruby burst out laughing. Her laughter lightened the mood and followed the three women and Gold out into the chilly afternoon.

"Well, we don't have all day," Regina said as she tugged on her gloves. "I am picking up Henry from school for a dentist's appointment."

"Oh, I'm sorry that the upcoming apocalypse is straining on your time," Gold bit off sarcastically but his words pulled Emma up short.

"Wait, what? Apocalypse?"

"Ms Swan, please just keep moving and we will explain on the way."

"Ok, because I agreed to do whatever you needed me to do but no one mentioned anything about an apocalypse!" Her voice sounded whiny even to her own ears and she desperately tried to stifle the pout that she could feel forming on her lips.

"Bastinda is one of the most powerful, most ancient beings in any of the worlds. Her magic far surpasses anything Regina and I put together could even dream of."

"Poor Dorothy," Belle murmured.

"Why is she after her?" Emma asked and Regina answered, her voice calm.

"She took something that belonged to her."

"Then just give it back!" Emma said, hoping the solution was just that simple. Of course, nothing is ever that simple. Regina shook her head as she led the way to the room where Dorothy was huddled quietly with Toto. As they entered the room, Toto barked and ran to Emma. He jumped on her legs barking then ran back to Dorothy to nuzzle her.

"Even the dog thinks I can save her," Emma muttered and Belle smiled as she met her eyes. Emma found she was smiling back before she could stop herself. She had never met anyone whose eyes shone with as much light, honesty, and compassion as Belle's did. She heard someone clear their throat and looked up to see Regina scowling at the two of them.

"Are you ready?" Gold asked Dorothy who nodded tightly. Gold turned to Emma and asked her the same question. Emma nodded not really understanding the question but, hey, what could happen? As Gold and Regina turned to do whatever to Dorothy, she went to stand over by the window. As she searched for signs of the coming storm, her gaze fell upon Snow White as she sat on a bench. Emma watched as her mother turned her face up to the sky as windy fingers playfully ran through her hair. Emma couldn't stop the feeling growing inside her as her mother, the woman who had only moments to cherish her and suffer the heartbreak of giving her up, opened her eyes. Emma wondered what look had been on her mother's face as she gave her to her father. Emma had caught glimpses of her mother's fierceness but never before had she thought that maybe her mother had been determined but heartbroken. A heartbreak which had lasted only moments by all accounts.

A rush of magic pulled Emma from her thoughts as it hit her body. She felt a warm bolt run through her and she gasped as it arched her back. So this is what the tempest was after, this warmth and feeling of … wait, no. No, no, no. This could NOT be happening!

"What the fuck!?" Emma shouted and everyone looked up at her in surprise. "What did you do?"

"Ms. Swan, you agreed to carry Dorothy's burden and face Bastinda," Regina snapped, her eyes uncertain and angry. Toto barked once to show his agreement.

"Yes, I know that part even though you both failed to mention it was the apocalypse. I'm talking about these SHOES! I did not agree to wear these shoes!" Emma looked down at the sparkling silver shoes that had appeared on her feet, the horror she felt welling in her causing her to stammer. "They're not even ruby slippers- they're fucking silver Mary Janes! Where the hell are my boots?!" Everyone was staring at her with a mixture of disbelief, irritation, and dare she acknowledge it, laughter.

"Emma, you do know that's what Bastinda is after. You said yourself you had seen the movie," Regina said. "The slippers were only ruby in the movie because they wanted to show off their technicolor advances. In actuality, the slippers have always been silver."

Emma's eyes never blinked as she stared in horror at the sparkling silver shoes resting on her feet. She had never in her life worn such a thing and she didn't intend to start now. She reached towards her feet to remove the offensive shoes, oblivious to the warning shouts from Gold and Regina. When she came to, Regina was leaning over her, the usual sarcastic dislike replaced in her eyes with worry. Regina's hair fell forward and Emma thought she had never seen anything that looked so soft and touchable. Regina was worriedly chewing her bottom lips as her hands checked Emma's pulse points. They both felt Emma's pulse speed up as Regina's nearness caused the blood to rush faster through her veins.

"You're so beautiful," Emma slurred, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to regain clarity. Gold hid an amused cough behind his hand as a blush spread across Regina's cheeks. The worry in her eyes were replaced by a look of resigned irritation as she helped Emma to her feet.

"Really, Ms. Swan, those shoes are enchanted with powerful magic," Regina said, her cheeks still pink as she ignored Emma's comment. Emma shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs. Had she just called Regina beautiful... to her face? Emma sneaked a peek at the mayor through lowered lashes. Regina _was_ beautiful, like statues are beautiful. Untouchable, classic, unfeeling. "No one even knows the extent of the magic that the shoes possess that's why the myth that they had been lost in the Deadly Desert was perpetuated." Regina turned to Dorothy. "How did she find out that they weren't lost?"

Dorothy's face paled and she looked down at her hands. "Toto and I... we..."

"You used the bloody things, didn't you," Gold said angrily and Dorothy nodded as she looked down at her hands.

"We just wanted to go home, didn't we, Toto?" Toto barked his agreement and growled at Gold who held his hands up in a peaceful gesture.

"You put powerful magic on my feet," Emma said as she managed to push the last of the drunken feeling from her mind. "MY feet. Seriously? What if I trip and, I don't know, blow up half the town?" She watched as Regina and Gold quietly consulted one another, probably discussing the likelihood of that happening. Emma relaxed as their conversation seemed to gather around that Emma would have to have intentionally tripped in the hopes of damaging, destroying, or removing them. Dorothy was looking at her oddly and Emma put her hands on her hips. "Something you want to say, Dorothy?"

"Oh my, I didn't mean to be rude." Dorothy nervously chewed her bottom lip and Emma allowed herself a moment to appreciate its fullness and absolute kissability. Dorothy walked closer to her and leaned forward to say conspiratorially, "I never did like those shoes either. Toto and I never asked for such a responsibility, did we Toto?" Toto barked his agreement. Emma turned to look into Dorothy's cornflower blue eyes. How could someone remain so innocent, she wondered?

"I feel like Priscilla Queen of the Desert is going to come for them any moment," Emma said, looking balefully at her feet.

"Oh, dear," Dorothy replied, worry creasing her brows. "Don't let her have them. I've found that anyone who actually wants them should never be allowed to have them."

"Like the One Ring," Emma said and Dorothy looked at her in confusion as Belle nodded behind her. "Except if Priscilla had them everything would be _fabulous_."

"Dorothy, dearie, please come with me and Belle. We will send you somewhere safe, I promise." Emma watched as the three left the room leaving her alone with Regina. Emma couldn't help but gaze morosely at the shoes on her feet.

"I don't know what to do," Emma said, the hopelessness in her voice ringing in her own ears. "I haven't really had time to process what you and Gold are asking me to do."

"We are asking you to do your job," Regina snapped and Emma jerked as though slapped. The mayor might put everything into such a simple package but it was always more than that.

"You're asking me to be willing to die for something I don't even understand. But, hey, at least you asked me first, right? I did say yes and chose it, though, didn't I? I chose this destiny... hey, what if fate is real and because of it you can't say no to your destiny?" Emma looked up and found Regina looking at her with such intensity that the words died in her throat.

"I will be there with you, Emma. If you fail, I will fail with you."

"And if I succeed you will fade into the background as always. How do you do it, Regina? How do you handle the hate and rancor thrown your way even when you are the one who has saved us all countless times?" Her words seemed to visibly hit Regina. Emma, for once, was able to discern the emotions running through the other woman's eyes and across her face as she bit her lip. Sadness, loneliness, anger, and... yes, there it was again, hope.

It seemed as if time itself had stopped as the air between the two seemed to thicken. Emma's focus became Regina's eyes, Regina's lips. She saw the other woman lick her lips as her own gaze dropped to Emma's mouth. Emma's hand trembled as she reached for Regina, but her motions were halted mid-reach as the door burst open and Snow and Henry tumbled into the room. The wind on the other side of the door had picked up and was now tossing the trees like a bully instead of playfully scampering through their branches. A dark sky was looming in the distance, the thunderheads appearing to roil and seethe upon themselves. Emma's eyes widened as she gasped and took she unknowingly took a step towards the door.

"Mom! Is it true?" Henry asked, running forward and throwing his arms around Emma. "Are you going to fight the Wicked Witch of the West? Does Dorothy really have a dog named Toto? You're actually wearing her shoes! Why aren't they red?"

"Hey, kid, slow down there." Emma hugged him close, patting his back awkwardly. "Regina is calling a town meeting where she will explain what everyone needs to do. Afterward, I would like to have a family meeting where we can all discuss our plans. Sound good?" Henry nodded and ran over to Regina, his eyes shining as he looked up.

"Mom? Can I help you with the meeting?" Regina's face fell into a loving smile and Emma's breath caught in her throat.

"Of course you can, darling. However, I don't want you running out in the storm. Let's go set up while Emma rings the bell." Henry slipped his hand into Regina's and smiled at Emma as they walked to the door. Emma watched them go with a drop in her heart.

"Emma," Snow said softly beside her and Emma turned to her mother. "Why would you agree to do this?"

"Because I'm your daughter," Emma said quietly. She was surprised as pride and love flooded Snow's face. The smaller woman took Emma's hand in hers and walked with her from the room.


	4. Chapter 4

"It's simple really," Emma drawled as she took a sip of her cocoa. "I don't believe anyone is inherently evil."

"Seriously?" Ruby asked, her eyebrows climbing into her hairline. "You live here and you don't believe in evil? You live in the shadow of one of the greatest villains in our world!" Emma threw down the fry that was halfway to her mouth and glared at the woman across the counter from her.

"Being a villain doesn't mean you're evil. Name anything and I can give you a reason that, while it won't justify actions to the general populace, would justify everything to the person who you call a villain."

"There is no justification for some things, Emma! Does nothing exist in black and white for you?"

"Yes. The fact that people are not absolutely this and absolutely- that is black and white for me."

"You are so annoying! If you don't believe in evil then how do you believe in good?"

"I never said I didn't believe in good and evil. I said I don't believe anyone is _inherently_ evil."

"There's no difference!"

"There's a huge difference!"

"Name one!"

"Darth Vader." Emma smirked as Ruby stepped back and thought it over.

"Yeah, but what about Emperor Palpatine?" At Emma's silence, Ruby smiled feeling as though she had won the argument. Emma thought long moments before answering.

"Do you know why when he was a senator the others liked him so much? Because of his honesty and candor. He despised ambition and people fighting for power so much that he wanted to create a government... hmm... how did he put it?... a government clean, pure, and direct. However, he ended up becoming exactly what he hated. " Emma popped a fry into her mouth and watched as the smile slid from Ruby's face. "We all have our reasons for the things we do. Some of us are so broken that our thoughts and ideals don't have a choice but to be as broken..." her voice trailed off as Ruby patted her arm.

"The pieces are all there, Emma. You just have to fit them together," Ruby said quietly.

"Maybe the pieces don't fit together, Red, no matter how much you turn and twist them." She heard a tremulous sigh behind her and she turned to find Regina very obviously avoiding looking at her. "How is it that she is always..." Emma was interrupted as Ruby punched her in the arm.

"You are seriously messed up, chick. Just look at the shoes you choose to wear." Ruby laughed as Emma threw a fry at her.

"Yeah, well, you have fleas." Ruby gasped in outraged indignation before bursting into laughter.

"Ms. Swan, if you are quite finished we should be on our way," Regina said from the door and Emma sighed as she dusted the salt from her hands.

"If I'd known you were back, Madame Mayor, I would have gladly left minutes ago," Emma said as she slid from the stool and walked towards Regina. Earlier it had been agreed that Emma would stay with Regina while they waited for the storm's arrival. Snow and David were already settling in with Henry while Emma and Regina had overseen the settling of the townsfolk in their basements and in the basement of the town hall for others who didn't feel comfortable in their homes. Emma had been impressed with Regina's decisiveness and the quickness with which she had gotten everyone settled.

They walked out into the town and Emma's gaze automatically went to the sky. She could feel the power in the storm and something else, something dark and haunting. She turned to see Regina gazing up at the sky, her own eyes full of thoughts.

"Have you thought about it at all, Ms Swan?"

"Yeah and I still can't figure out how you managed to get Henry to his dentist appointment and still do everything else." Regina looked at her, irritation causing her to roll her eyes derisively. "What? It's what I was wondering!"

"Why do you do that, Emma?" Regina said as the wind kicked up around them.

"Do what?" Regina regarded her long moments and Emma could feel the space between them seem to shrink and grow at the same time as though she and Regina were the only ones that existed in that moment. Half of her wanted Regina to reach into her and pull out the woman hiding within and the other half secretly begged Regina to let keep her mask of detachment firmly in place.

"Avoid the question," Regina finally said, letting the moment slide. Emma felt empty and grateful. "Dorothy set a process in motion and Bastinda seems to repeat it every time they meet. You are taking Dorothy's place, but you can't change the process- the ways things are going to play out."

"It seems odd to me. Dorothy had her cowardly lion, tin man, and scarecrow. Unless you can magic those things for me, I don't have that."

"You really don't know the full story do you?" Regina asked and Emma shifted from foot to foot.

"I told you I didn't like the singing. Everything had to be sung and I never understood why. What happened if you lived in Oz and you couldn't carry a tune?" Emma was surprised to hear Regina laugh but she didn't look half as surprised as the mayor. "Courage, wit, and heart, right?"

"You know, she wasn't always wicked," Regina said as they walked towards the manor. Emma looked over at her in surprise and Regina nodded. "She was a good person, but her choice to turn against someone she saw as corrupt and bad turned the populace against her and her actions were seen as wicked. Did you know, when the animals were being captured and their voices being stolen she released a small cub from his cage, a cub who grew up to become the cowardly lion?" Emma looked at Regina in surprise, completely intrigued despite herself. "He was misled and told the witch had stolen his courage, but in actuality she had saved him."

Regina was silent for long moments lost in her own thoughts. "And the tin man?" Emma prompted, her voice quiet against the backdrop of wind and thunder that rumbled in the near distance.

"Her sister had a lover who was never really interested in her. When he tried to leave, her sister stole Bastinda's spell book and cast a spell on him to lose his heart to her. However, she didn't know magic and he literally lost his heart. Bastinda saved him by turning him into a tin man so he could survive without his heart. However, he was led to believe that she was the one who cast the spell that caused him to lose his heart in the first place."

Emma's steps slowed as she considered the story. She didn't understand something, she supposed, and it was eating away at her. How was she to face someone so powerful, someone she was beginning to regard with compassion? "And the scarecrow?"

"She had fallen in love. However, when she fled he was used against her. When she couldn't save him, she changed him into a scarecrow so that the soldiers spears and swords could pass through him without killing him. When Dorothy arrived, he traveled with her and helped save Bastinda at the last moment."

"That's why Dorothy thought the bucket of water had killed the witch. OK, I get all of this, but the shoes? Why is she after the shoes?"

"She had a younger sister who couldn't walk. She enchanted her sister's silver slippers so that her sister could walk and dance and be with the man she loved."

"The Tin Man." Regina nodded. "However, in an effort to draw the witch from hiding, a house was magically dropped on her sister, killing her. When Bastinda arrived to claim her sister and her enchanted shoes, she found that they had been taken from her sister's body and placed upon Dorothy."

Emma stopped walking and Regina turned to look at her in confusion. "Emma?"

"I can't do this, Regina. I can't."

"What? As usual you aren't making any sense. The shoes will protect you."

"First of all, I believe the witch Glenda's kiss is what protected Dorothy. Now, I didn't listen to the singing but two women kissing, yeah, I totally watched that." At Regina's gasp, Emma groaned and smacked herself in the head. She had just opened her mouth and outed herself to Regina of all people. "Moving on," Emma cleared her throat and tried to shake the blush from her own cheeks, "I don't want to keep the shoes from her. They belong to her." Regina was still staring at Emma with an expression of surprise, her own cheeks flushed. "For god's sake, Regina, can you please forget I said that. We can talk about it later, if you'd like, but right now we have something heading our way that's far more important."

"You like women? But what about Henry?"

"Seriously?" Emma sighed and shoved her hands into her pockets. "Yeah, I do, OK? But please don't try to keep Henry away from me because of it because I... I'll..."

"What?" Regina said, the softness of her voice lost on Emma who was looking hopelessly up at the sky, willing the storm to come sweep her away. "Emma," she said, touching Emma's arm and turning her attention back to warm, liquid brown eyes. "You absolutely cannot give her the shoes. She is set upon vengeance and no one should be able to have something that powerful when their heart is filled with such an emotion. Over time vengeance warps in your heart to bitterness and hate."

"You'd know, wouldn't you?" Emma snapped, pulling her arm away.

"Yes, I would," Regina practically shouted, her hands on her hips. "We entrusted the shoes to you because we trusted your judgment and _intelligence_ to do the right thing. I can't believe we are even having this conversation!"

"Yeah, it's a real role reversal, isn't it?" Emma shouted. She stepped forward and put her face in Regina's. "If you trusted," she bit off the word with loathing, "my judgment then you would trust me even if I have questions! I don't understand any of this!"

"It's pretty simple, but then, I can see where it would be complicated for someone like you."

"What does that mean 'someone like me'? What? Someone who is just as lost as the person she is supposed to face off against? How the hell am I supposed to stand up to that?" Emma pointed at the dark twisting clouds that were getting closer.

"You have to find your courage, your wit, and your heart," Regina said in exasperation. "This is what I've been trying to tell you! Dorothy didn't stand a chance because none of hers were true."

"Oh, well, that's simple," Emma said, her sudden calmness and levelheadedness surprising the other woman.

"You, Ms. Swan, are as tempestuous as the storm heading our way." They resumed walking, and Emma could literally hear Regina trying to calm her emotions as she evened out her breathing. She watched as the mask slid in place, wondering how it was that she was the only one she knew who could so easily cause it to slip.

"You know why this is hard?" Emma asked quietly as they started up the walk to the front door of the Mills manor. Regina looked at her, her eyebrow raised in question. "Because she reminds me so much of you. I can't help how I feel each time I hear more of her story and I think 'that could be Regina'. It screws with my head," she finished lamely, turning to smiled crookedly at Regina who had stopped to stare at her. The brown eyes were large and full of something warm and soft, something Emma felt she could fall into. "You see, I get it. I know you, whether you'd like to admit it or not. I know how it feels to be abandoned by people who should love you, abused by people who should take care of you, forced to submit, and have nothing left to anchor you."

"You don't know me, Ms. Swan," Regina said breathlessly, but her voice lacked conviction. Emma smiled, the uplifting of her lips sad and knowing, a window into the soul of the who she was. Emma opened her mouth to say something more but was interrupted by the sound of their son flinging the door open.

"Moms!" Henry called from the front door turning their attention towards the house and the three people who waited anxiously within it. She turned to glance at Regina as the first drops of rain began to fall catching in the mayor's lashes and on her chin. They turned and ran to the house, barely making the porch just as the bottom dropped out of the sky with a loud crack of thunder. Emma shivered as she felt the electricity in the air.

"I'm going with you," Henry said as Regina closed the door behind her and all hell immediately broke loose. Henry stood and listened as the four adults spoke over and through one another expressing the no way possible terms that he would accompany Emma. Once they considered him chastised and quietened, Henry took a deep breath and stood up straighter. "I have to be there and Emma knows it."

"What are you talking about, kid?" Emma asked as three sets of adults turned to look at her in varying degrees of suspicion and disappointment. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I never told him that he could come."

"Emma, you broke the curse because you love me. Maybe you need me for this too?"

"Kid, I always need you... I need you safe and somewhere I don't have to worry. You get that don't you? How can I look out for me and Regina if I'm trying to look out for you?" Henry turned pleading eyes to Regina.

"Mom, you know it's true. Tell them." Regina shook her head and Henry curled his hands into fists fighting the tears in his eyes. "You both don't care that you're just leaving me. What if you don't come back?"

"Oh, Henry," Regina said kneeling and taking him into her arms. He lay his head in the curve of her neck. Emma knelt beside them and lay her head on his back. She could feel hear his heart racing as her eyes met Regina's over his shoulder. Emma saw the same love and devotion reflected in the other woman's eyes that she felt shining in her own.

"We love you, kid," Emma said, her voice thick with emotion.

"The boy may have a point," Gold said from across the room and Emma looked up startled. He was standing in the doorway, his arm linked with Belle's. "Oh, sorry, Snow invited me and Belle over to discuss strategy." Emma looked at Snow questioningly and the smaller brunette shrugged her shoulders.

"I didn't like the way our planning went and felt we could use someone else's viewpoint."

"Henry isn't going out into that storm," Regina said definitively and Emma nodded her agreement.

"Of course not, dearies. But it is highly likely that one or both of you will be taken over the rainbow. Now, we need to figure out how to stop that from happening. From what I understand, you are going to go _talk _to Bastinda? That's your plan?"

"Well, it seemed like a good plan at the time..." Emma trailed off as everyone turned to her in surprise. "What? No one had anything better to say and at least then I could figure out what she wanted or needed me to do!"

"Seriously, Emma," David began and Emma turned her shoulders in on herself.

"That _is_ my serious plan," she muttered. Gold spread his hands at her words. Regina stood and motioned for everyone to follow her to her study.

"I agree with Emma. We have to know what she is after in order to counter it," Regina said and Snow instantly protested.

"You'd say that because you don't care if she is taken from us! You've already proven that."

"You're the one who chose to let her go," Regina snapped. You put yourselves and everyone else over the life of your own daughter. You had no idea where you were sending her so don't stand there acting like you're better than me."

"You, bitch! How dare you..." David caught Snow's hand before it could connect with Regina's cheek. He turned to say something biting to Regina but in that moment a lightning strike hit just outside the window blinding them. The following boom of thunder was so deafening Emma felt as though her ears would ring for a week.

"She's here," Belle said, the wonder in her voice outweighing the nerves. Emma turned to look out the window and she saw a dark figure standing beneath Regina's apple tree. Emma straightened as she watched the clouds roil and tangle together in a sea of darkness overhead. It was so surreal and she took a shaky breath as she smoothed her hair and tucked it behind her ears.

"Well, here goes," Emma said. "I'm just going to go talk to her, OK?"

"Emma, wait!" Henry said as she turned to go. "Mom," he said turning to Regina, "you have to kiss Emma."

"What?" the two said simultaneously.

"I've been studying the story and Dorothy was protected by a good witch's kiss."

"Maybe you've missed the fact that we are lacking a good witch," Gold said spreading his hands to encompass everyone in the room.

"No, we're not," Henry said.

"Henry, Mr. Gold has a point," Regina said quietly.

"Please, mom," he begged, the desperation in his voice breaking Emma's heart. "Please. I believe in you. I believe you've changed and so does Emma." He turned his eyes to Emma and begged her to agree. Emma cleared her throat.

"I do believe Regina has... er... changed."

"Are you serious?" Snow nearly shouted. "The day that woman is good is the day hell freezes over. How can you say that after everything she's done? How?" Emma looked into her mother's eyes and saw the anger and hatred burning within their depths. Her father's eyes were twin images of her mothers.

"I believe people can change..." her words were cut off as a second lightning strike sounded outside. The yard seemed to seethe with shadows as Bastinda stood and looked towards the house.

"Please," Henry begged, tugging Regina's hand and pulling her towards Emma.

Regina stood in front of Emma and their eyes met. Emma was once more fascinated at the amber facets that sparkled and shone in the light of the storm raging outside. Emma watched as Regina leaned forward and felt her heart begin to pound as time slowed and focused on the slow fall of Regina's lashes against her cheeks. Emma sighed as the other woman's lips touched her own, their softness caressing her bottom lip. As Regina withdrew Emma saw wonder and passion nestled within the dark depths of her eyes as her lashes lifted. Without thought for the people watching, Regina's hand reached up and touched her lips. Emma's felt the heat in her face and saw it reflected in Regina's. She lifted her hand towards the other woman but it was stopped before it had barely moved by the sound of Gold clearing his throat.

Emma remembered they were standing in a room full of people. She looked from Henry's smiling face to the confusion on her parents face to the surprised arch of Gold's eyebrows to the knowing smile of Belle's. Regina took a step back and averted her eyes.

While everyone was distracted, Emma quickly turned to the door, ignoring the shouts behind her. She walked to the front door and left before anyone else could say anything to stop her. She leaned back against the door, taking in the scene before her. Shadows slunk across the yard and Emma realized with a start that they were real. As the sky lit up, she saw the shine of eyes and the gleam of teeth. Wolves. Lots of them.

Emma pushed off the door and walked down the steps. The silver shoes seemed to shine in the storm and she felt electricity crackling around them. She approached the figure huddled in on itself by the apple tree, feeling the people inside the house watching carefully. The wolves crept closer snapping fitfully at her heels but something seemed to keep them at bay. As she got closer she realized the apple tree was filled with crows. They shuffled fitfully, their eyes watching her approach. Emma took a deep breath and stepped closer until she stood no more than five feet from the storm's center.

"So you came," a low voice greeted her, "but you aren't she. You're someone else, but yet, you are wearing my sister's shoes." The wind rose around them spinning hair darker than the night around a tall, thin woman. "Give them to me." She said, pointing to the offensive footwear.

"I have a question," Emma began, "and I swear I'm not trying to be rude. But, if you are all powerful why can't you take them?" The witch seemed to be taken aback by the question and she chuckled before answering.

"They can only be taken from the previous wearer if the wearer is dead or they can be given willingly. I am asking you to give them willingly but I will take them from your corpse if need be." The wolves circled closer, snapping and snarling.

"I thought about giving them to you, I really did," Emma said with a tired sigh. "I didn't quite understand why you couldn't have them since, for all intents and purposes, they belong to you, but then it was explained to me. I can't give you something you would use to murder and terrorize." The witch regarded her thoughtfully.

"What is your name?" She asked and Emma shuffled nervously. "Ah, I see. You are the one who broke Cora's daughter's curse, aren't you? Lovely piece of witchcraft; so much thought, love, and hope placed into something so vile and wicked- it was quite intriguing. Worlds reverberated with the spell."

"My name is Emma Swan," she choked out. "Why... why did they reverberate?"

"Because dark magic was powered by something pure. It created... a conflux. Magic began working together and strange things happened across the worlds. Why, even my wolves found themselves frolicking with rabbits and acting like pups." The closing wolves look embarrassed and whined at her words.

Emma took a step forward and one of the encroaching wolves snapped at her only to fly backwards and land hard. He shook his head as he stood, his eyes glowing hatred at her. Emma stood frozen during the few seconds the scene played out, certain that she was about to die.

"Well, so you are protected," the witch muttered. "Where on earth did you find a witch capable of granting you a kiss of protection?" She turned suddenly towards Emma and raised her hands directing a steady stream of magic directly at Emma. The black webs turned aside as they neared Emma. The witch snarled and lightning bolts fell from the sky blackening the ground around Emma. She could feel the electricity sizzling in the air and closed her eyes and spread her arms as the ground shook beneath her. As the lightning stopped hitting and the storm quietened Emma dropped her arms and opened her eyes to look across at the woman who was regarding her with fascination.

"You accepted it," she said, her voice awed and intrigued.

"What?" Emma asked, thoroughly confused and checking herself to make sure she still stood... alive and in one piece.

"I've never... you... why would you... Emma Swan, I'll make a deal with you."

"What? What?" Emma felt as though the situation was moving rapidly out of her control and that she couldn't catch up with what was happening quickly enough to avoid the pitfalls being placed at her feet.

"A deal. If you answer my questions honestly and without reservation I will leave you alone and will not return to claim the shoes until your death, a death which I agree not to cause."

"You will leave everyone alone," Emma began and Bastinda waved her hands and nodded.

"Yes, yes, of course. I will return to my castle to watch and wait. No tricks, no assisting any enemies past, present, or future. No interference on any level. My only stipulation is that those gathered in the house hear my questions and your answers and that you cannot drag out your answers. I feel like if my story and my heartbreak is known to everyone then yours should be too since where you wear the only thing that I desire and will not give them to me."

Emma's heart caught in her throat at Bastinda's condition. She knew it wouldn't be so easy. There was so much she was hiding and she didn't feel like she was ready to even look at herself much less let anyone else see inside of her. However, what could this woman possibly know about her other than general information? She obviously was slightly unhinged and she wasn't from here or the Enchanted Forest.

"You have twenty-four hours of time, this world's untampered with, natural time, to ask, no more. With bathroom and food breaks," she added quickly. The witch thought for a moment then nodded her consent. Emma couldn't believe how well this was going for her. "Then, Bastinda, you have a deal."

"Please, call me Elphaba."


	5. Chapter 5

_Oh, got no reason, got no shame  
Got no family I can blame  
Just don't let me disappear  
I'ma tell you everything _

_-Secrets_

"I don't actually believe that anyone is ever completely forthright," Emma said before taking a long drink of her hot cocoa. Ruby regarded her thoughtfully. "There's always something we keep to ourselves, even if it's just some emotion that can't really be put into words. You know?"

"Yeah for once I actually agree with you," Ruby murmured. "I don't know if I could've accepted the witch's deal. I truly don't believe that I'd have the courage to do something like that with people I know and see every day listening." Emma shifted uncomfortably on her seat.

"I accepted it because I had no idea what else to do. Honestly, I still don't quite understand what Regina and Gold want me to do and I feel too stupid to ask. Hopefully I don't walk outside and get hit by a bus in three days or this would have all been pointless I suppose." She ran over the argument with her parents and Gold. Her parents were appalled that she had put off the inevitable but Gold and Henry argued that it was desperately needed time. Regina had remained silent. Emma suspected she was still reeling by the fact that she had bestowed a kiss of protection that had worked.

"How do you think things would be if we could all read one another's thoughts?" Belle asked suddenly and the conversation quickly degenerated into a discussion of hive mind (Emma) versus something warm and fluffy (Ruby). Emma heard a sigh behind her and turned to find Regina watching her and shaking her head.

"Seriously, how is she always sitting there for these conversations?" Emma asked incredulously and Ruby laughed. The door opened and Snow came in, her cheeks pink from the wind. She regarded Emma with a mother's worried eyes.

"Emma, it's time." Emma, Belle, and Regina stood and each squared her shoulders as they walked towards Regina's house.

"Ms. Swan, how did this end up taking place at my house?" Regina asked and Emma shrugged.

"She likes your apple tree?" It was the only tree left uncharred by the multiple lightning strikes so Emma felt comfortable throwing the answer out there.

"I sincerely hope you answer her questions better than you answer mine," Regina huffed worriedly. As they started up Regina's walk, however, their eyes fell on Elphaba sitting under the apple tree and Emma nearly crowed with victory.

"Told ya," she said gleefully before the emotion left her and was replaced by nervousness. Elphaba motioned for the three of them to join the others already gathered in the circle. Belle hurried to Gold's side and he smiled down into her eyes. Elphaba seated Emma opposite herself facing the others who she seated behind her. Emma looked into their eyes and hoped the day passed by quickly. She looked down at her watch and mentally pleaded with it to speed up time instead of slowing it.

"No one watching is allowed to make any comments. It will negate my deal with Emma and I will immediately strike. No exceptions unless I specifically give permission. Understood?" They all nodded "Emma has negotiated bathroom breaks and breaks for food. Bathroom and water breaks will happen every second hour and will last ten minutes, during which time no one will speak to Emma. She will stay separate. You will eat when the chimes hit one and five and you will have thirty minutes. I'm being generous as this is my time with Emma you are intruding upon."

As the clock struck nine, Emma closed her eyes. The time allotted would run between 9am-9am. She tucked her hair behind her ears as the last chime sounded. Elphaba wasted no time and immediately asked Emma a question.

"What is your favorite domestic animal?"

"Dogs."

"If you could be an animal, what would you be?"

"A horse."

"Why?"

"Because they're beautiful, wild, and kind."

The questions went on in the same vein and Emma began to feel as though this wouldn't be so hard after all. A lot of the questions brought out information she realized that she never really even knew about herself. The clock struck eleven and the group broke up for bathroom and water breaks. The atmosphere seemed as hopefully relaxed as Emma felt and when everyone returned Emma turned to Elphaba with a smile.

"Why do you think I want my sister's shoes?"

Emma thought for long moments sorting the story in her head. "Because they are a part of her."

"Why?"

"Because you enchanted them so she could walk, dance, and love."

"Why are they being kept from me?"

"From what I understand they also contain very powerful, ancient magic and you- pardon me, but it is believed that you- aren't exactly in your right mind to have such a powerful artifact."

"How do you define evil?"

"By intentions."

The questions continued in this vein and Emma felt as though she were being forced to become a philosopher but still the questions were well within her comfort zone. As the clock chimed 1pm, she stretched and smiled at the people sitting across from her. She anticipated looks of boredom, but couldn't find a single face in the group that wore that expression.

The rest of the afternoon ticked slowly on. Emma felt herself getting hoarse from speaking so much and Elphaba sent Henry to gather a pitcher of water and two glasses. Emma accepted it gratefully. Dinner break came and went and as the sky darkened it appeared that Elphaba's mood did the same. Thunder rumbled in the distance and Emma looked worriedly at the sky. After the 9pm break, Emma's confidence and relaxation was quickly shattered as Elphaba began asking the questions of which she was afraid to answer.

"Your parents abandoned you?"

Emma debated the usual round about answer but she heard Elphaba whisper in her head that she must answer truthfully and without reservation. "Yes," she sighed, looking at the ground.

"Do you accept them as your parents?"

"I know that they are, but I know them as Mary Margaret and David."

"Did you like them before you knew they were your parents?"

"I... I liked Mary Margaret."

"What did you think about David?"

"That he was an adulterous ass."

"Do you love them?" Emma felt conflicted and struggled to answer the question as best as she could.

"I love the idea of them as my parents. I don't really know them to love them as people. Just because someone tells you they're your parents it doesn't automatically open up the emotional floodgates."

"You love the idea?"

"I sometimes imagine my father fighting to put me safely in the cradle of the tree that brought me here and I love that. I sometimes imagine my mother holding me, wanting to keep me but knowing she had to let me go and I love that she wanted me."

"Do you hate them for sending you off?"

"Yes." A tear slipped down Emma's cheek and she scrubbed it away.

"What was your childhood like?"

"Foster homes, homes for children, orphanages."

"Describe the best?"

"I guess I was three or four. The people were very kind and I hoped they keep me."

"Why didn't they?"

"I don't know. I guess I wasn't good enough for them."

"Describe the worst?" Emma paused, her mind refusing to yield her the answer. She felt as though the air was being pushed from her lungs and she bent over with a groan. "Emma, our deal." Emma stayed bend forward, her head resting on her knees and her arms wrapped tightly around them.

"I was ten. I was used to being kicked and punched, shuffled off, molested, and given very little to eat. You get used to being a lost girl, like you've disappeared in a sea of human misery and abandonment. But I'd never..." Emma swallowed past the lump in her throat. She couldn't bear to look up and see the gazes of her family upon her. "I'd never hoped before then that I could actually be a part of a family. This certain couple were nice to me- I had my own room and I had enough to eat. However I soon realized that there was something worse than being hit and that was being ignored, just being provided food, shelter, and water. Then their son came home from college and he saw us foster kids as his... personal playthings... and no one did anything about it. I lost any semblance of innocence I had in that home about everything."

"You stopped hoping?"

"Yes."

"You stopped believing there were parents out there desperately looking for you?

"Yes."

"You began to see physical touch as something repulsive and sadistic?"

"Yes."

"How did you escape?"

"I tried to kill him. They moved me to juvie."

"What did you learn from your childhood?"

"That no one really cares. That I'm not worth anything. That no one can love me. That no one will ever make me feel like that child again waiting for the next kick and hoping for someone to care."

"What have you learned from your parents?" The question surprised Emma and she turned her face to the side, resting her cheek on her knees.

"I've learned that... you never back down, you never give up. You fight for everything you believe in and you fight for those who can't fight for themselves." Emma raised her head in wonder as a thought occurred to her. "They're my courage." Her wide eyes met the eyes of her parents. Snow had her hands to her mouth holding back her sobs. She was nodding and and smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks. David was holding Snow and smiling at Emma, the look in his eyes one of love and fierce acceptance. Emma felt a weight lift from her chest and she looked at Elphaba. The witch regarded her quietly. The clock struck 11pm and Emma kept her eyes on the ground as the others filed past her.

"You better go, child, and at least use the facilities," Elphaba said, her voice almost kind. Emma glared at the witch but stood and slowly walked towards the manor as the witch followed her closely.


	6. Chapter 6

_Let me see you stripped down to the bone_

_Let me hear you speaking just for me_

_Let me see you stripped down to the bone_

_Let me hear you crying just for me_

_-Stripped (Shiny Toy Guns)  
_

They were once more seated and Emma felt a sudden dread as the night air caressed her cheek. She cleared her throat and turned to face Elphaba. She wouldn't fail. She couldn't; not now that she realized why Elphaba had insisted that her family be present- it wasn't for humiliation but because, if Emma failed, she could target them and force Emma to give her the shoes. She didn't expect Emma to be able to fulfill her part of the deal.

"Do you prefer cherry or blueberry pie?" Emma opened her mouth and almost fell into the trap. She actually preferred apple pie and almost said as much but that wasn't answering the question as it had been asked. She looked into Elphaba's amused eyes as she answered.

"Of the two, I prefer cherry."

"Why did you give your son up for adoption?" Emma wrung her hands. There were so many reasons, some so personal she had never dared mention them aloud. Why couldn't more questions be about pies and dogs?

"Because I was in prison. Because I was afraid I'd be a horrible mother- I had no standard to go by. Because I couldn't even take care of myself. Because... because he was Neil's son, and I didn't want to be reminded every day of my stupidity and heartbreak." Emma's voice caught on the last statement and she thought she saw Elphaba look disappointed in her answer.

"How did you feel when he showed up at your door?"

"Stunned. Happy. Scared. Resentful."

"Why?"

"Because he was beautiful and perfect. He was everything I couldn't have raised him to be."

"Your love for him broke a powerful curse?"

"Yes."

"Yet, you didn't really believe him whenever he would tell you the truth about the reality of things?"

"Not at first." Emma laughed. "It isn't like I had ever been exposed to anything resembling fairy tales. I thought he was imaginative and sweet, and I cherished that about him. Turns out he is imaginative, sweet, and exceptionally smart."

"How did it feel knowing that he is the Dark One's grandson?"

"Um, I've actually had the thought that a lot of Henry's wisdom and intelligence is passed down that line."

"I don't feel like you truly accept that Henry is Neil's son?"

"No, Henry feels more like..." Emma blushed but barreled on, "... he feels more like mine and Regina's."

"Why does Gold not frighten you like he does everyone else?"

"Because he was searching for his son and every action was aimed towards that end. I know what that feels like to have a part of you missing, a part you let go out of cowardice and the belief that you were doing a good thing."

"He has helped you?"

"Yes, I feel like he has already thought through every problem and solved half of it before I ever even realize what the problem is." Emma clasped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as they met Gold's. "He's the scarecrow!" He smiled at her, his smile filled with sad knowledge. Emma turned to Henry and she gasped. "So is Henry!" Emma quickly looked away and met Elphaba's eyes. The witch was regarding her with a small smile. She nodded quickly.

The next few questions were a series of small, innocuous questions but Emma didn't let her guard down at all. When the clock struck 1am, Elphaba clapped her hands for everyone's attention. We will resume at 3am. Please feel free to take a nap, eat, whatever, but do not leave these premises. You are all to stay together. Emma will remain awake with me out here on the lawn. As the others filed away silently, Emma turned to Elphaba.

"Thank you," she said quietly and Elphaba regarded her with surprise.

"I could hear someone yawning like their jaw was going to break," she said in reply and Emma sighed. "Besides, I need some time to go over the thoughts in my own head." Emma leaned back against the apple tree and watched the wolves approach. They snarled warningly at her before walking to sit in a semi circle around the witch.

Emma yawned several times but each time she did a wolf would lunge at her fiercely, snarling and growling. Falling asleep was completely out of the question and Emma felt as though every nerve in her body was on edge when the clock chimed 3am. The others filed slowly out of the house and arrayed themselves behind Elphaba. Henry looked slightly refreshed but the others appeared to be as exhausted as she felt.

"Have you ever been in love?"

"Yes."

"Many times?"

"No."

"Name one?"

"Neil."

"What did you love about him?"

"I think I fell in love with him because he was the first person who cared about me. I had never felt that way before, like I mattered. Which is why I think he came to matter so much to me."

"How did you feel when he turned on you?"

"Devastated. As though every bad thing I believed about myself was true."

"Why?"

"Because I thought that we had something good and beautiful."

"You don't actually love many people do you?" Emma shifted uncomfortably.

"No."

"Who do you wish you could be more like?" Emma breathed a slight sigh of relief. Her eyes fell on Belle who was scratching a wolf behind the ears. The wolf looked guiltily confused as Elphaba raised her brow at him. He slunk off into the night, his tail tucked between his legs.

"Belle," Emma said firmly with a smile.

"Why?"

"Because she accepts. She has such compassion and love. She is smart and wise beyond her years. I wish I would be more like her."

"Will you try to be?"

"No." Emma frowned down at her hands. "That's not who I am. As much as I'd like to be more like her I know that I never could be as compassionate and kind." Emma smiled as her eyes met Belle's. "Belle is my heart!" Elphaba clucked her tongue and reached forward to smack Emma's arm. Emma stared at her in surprise.

"Why did you spread your arms and close your eyes last night as I tried to kill you?" Emma shifted uncomfortably.

"Because I... because it felt real and like it was something I was familiar with."

"Being close to death?"

"Being disregarded as someone who can be thrown away and gotten rid of."

"It wasn't a death wish?"

"Not necessarily, no," Emma said slowly. "I just... I thought if I surrendered then when one hit me I wouldn't feel so stupid."

"Why would you feel stupid?"

"For believing that Regina's kiss could save me."

"Have you ever known true passion?" Emma's face blushed a deep red and she thought maybe she should take her chances with Elphaba's wrath.

"Yes," she squeaked.

"How did you know that's what it was?"

"Because... it felt like... time stands still and everything pushed into my blood and rushed through me." Elphaba regarded her with a raised brow.

"Well, you aren't a poet are you?"

"No," Emma said with a smile.

"Which person does your mind automatically turn to for help in a crisis situation?"

"Regina," Emma said, the answer dragged out of her as though pulling teeth.

"Who do you consider the most passionate, the person who feels the most and feels it deeply?" Emma glanced across at the group arrayed in front of her and realized with a start who that person was.

"Regina."

"Who do you feel is the truest person to their emotions and desires?" Emma thought back to how Mary Margaret and David struggled before they remembered who they were, she thought to Gold and Belle who found their feelings for one another. Her mind briefly flitted to Ruby, but she knew that Ruby hid her fears and hurts away from everyone. Once more the answer shone in her mind like a beacon.

"Regina," she said, her voice caressing the name with wonder.

"Whose promises, threats, and loyalty do you trust more than anyone else's?"

"Regina's," Emma said, her eyes locking with the woman whose name she kept repeating. Emma felt as though her heart were tripping over itself as the moon peeked from behind a cloud and caught Regina in it's moonlight. She was sitting as still as she could, her cheeks flushed, her eyes wide as she listened to Emma.

"Who is your heart?" And there it was. The question that Emma knew would break her if asked. Her eyes pleaded with Elphaba but the witch simply looked at her. Emma didn't want to lie; obviously the witch knew so much more than Emma thought she knew. Emma realized something with such sudden clarity that the force of it took her breath away.

"Regina is my heart," she said, the awe and wonder in her voice mirrored in the face sitting opposite her. Regina's eyes filled with tears and she held her hands over her mouth. Emma felt as though the air itself became charged around her. Elphaba nodded and smiled, her hands clasped before her. Snow raised her hands to her mouth and shook her head. Emma quickly looked away as she thought back over their tempestuous relationship and she realized that all along she had been attracted to Regina. When had she started falling for her? Was it the day outside the mines? Earlier? Was it just a regular day that her heart decided to begin loving the mayor or was it during one of their major dust-ups?

"Well done, Emma Swan. You deserve to wear the shoes as your courage, your wits, and your heart are real and true." Elphaba pulled a broom stick from the tree that Emma had failed to notice in all her time sitting beneath it. The witch cackled gleefully as she shot up into the night sky, her wolves disappearing into the shadows. A sudden wind rushed over the group which remained seated in confused surprise and the sound of the wolves disappeared with the dying of the wind.

"I need a cocoa," Emma said, standing wiping the dirt from her pants.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N – I usually update every day but I missed yesterday for two reasons: 1) I had to finish a spreadsheet for work and 2) fantastic game last night of Cards Against Humanity. _

_Thank you all for your support._

"I don't believe any of that happened," Emma said with a groan, laying her head down on her arm which was flung over the bar. Ruby patted her back consolingly and signaled for two more shots. Emma had decided earlier in the day that she definitely needed something a lot harder than cocoa after the way everyone kept looking at her with silent, unreadable expressions. Even at work that day she couldn't seem to find Regina anywhere and when she had gone to Gold's shop she swore she had watched as the sign flipped to 'closed' as she approached the door. "The only thing worse that could have happened is... well I don't think anything worse could have happened. I honestly regret that there wasn't a huge battle with lightning bolts and... and stuff."

"Oh, it could have been worse, Emma, for sure. They could have found out you're gay." Emma's eyes widened and she threw back her shot and signaled for another which she immediately downed before turning to Ruby.

"Say what, Red?"

"Emma, come off it. I know that living here in Storybrooke we're sheltered, but we weren't so sheltered back in the EF. Actually if your mom hadn't been so into Charming I think she and I..."

"For the love of Elphaba please stop talking right now. Right. Now." Emma said snatching Ruby's shot and downing it.

"Emma, I like you just the way you are whether you're in the closet or out."

"I'm not '_in the closet_'," Emma hissed and Ruby chuckled. Emma signaled to the bartender. "Bring a tray of shots and not this sissy sex on the beach stuff. I want your cheapest, hair of the dog, tequila." He nodded and set up the tray. Ruby's breath hissed between her teeth and Emma turned to her with an arched eyebrow. "Are we doing this, Red?"

"Fuck yeah we are," Ruby agreed with a fist bump.

Emma and Ruby lined up six shots each. Ruby argued that she needed at least margarita salt along the edge of her shot glasses. Emma licked her hand and salted it lightly, smiling as she watched the other girl delicately set up her shots. They were gathering a small crowd of Storybrooke residents who cheered as the girls downed their first shot. Emma was surprised when Ruby just turned to her with a grimace as the tequila burned down their throats. They slammed their glasses on the bar.

"You've done this before," Emma said and Ruby smiled.

"Don't think you know everything about me," Ruby said, licking the salt from her lips.

"Well I know a little more than I wanted or needed to know thanks to your earlier confession." Ruby laughed and slid the rim of the shot glass against her tongue before downing her second shot. Emma quickly followed suit and as they slammed the shot glasses down on the bar she felt the tequila blooming pleasantly, inebriatingly, in her blood.

They were well into their shots having just finished the fourth when Emma failed to noticed the door open and the bar quietening around them. She was very impressed with how Ruby handled her liquor and it intrigued her that the changeling might beat her at her own game.

"Hey, I just realiced... realished... yeah that's it... that you would have a higher... umm... you know you can digest your stuff faster because doesn't like your blood run hot and stuff?"

Ruby leaned closer to Emma, her hand sliding up Emma's thigh as she whispered in her ear, "My blood isn't the only thing running hot right now." Emma's eyes widened as the words tickled her ear with pleasantly hot breath. Her eyes immediately narrowed as Ruby burst into peals of laughter. "Oh my god, you should see your face! Now try to deny that you're gay!" Emma giggled, the drink having effectively taken the doors off her closet temporarily.

"Bitch."

"Butch." They laughed until Emma nearly fell off her bar stool. Still chuckling they downed their next shot, and Emma realized she felt pretty dang good. Maybe things weren't as bad as she thought.. that is until a voice spoke from behind her.

"Metabolism."

"Yeah, that's the word," Emma said, turning with a smile. Her eyes widened and she lost her grip on the counter and slid from her stool as she looked straight into the mayor's eyes. Determined not to squeak, Emma caught herself moments from the floor, standing so quickly she nearly went over backwards. Her hair fell over her face and she looked wide-eyed at Regina through a veil of blonde curls. She tried to get her hair out of her face, but she seemed to simply be putting more across her eyes.

"Join us for a shot!" Ruby said and slid a shot glass in front of Regina. She slid over a stool and completely ignored Regina's protestations as she pulled her onto her freshly vacated spot.

"It seems that you and Ms. Swan were very busy just a moment ago," Regina said stiffly and Emma nearly missed the stool as she attemped to sit back down. She tried to calculate the distance and timing to get her bottom back on the seat, but just as it appeared that the stool would win, Regina stepped in to save the day.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Ms. Swan," she said, holding the chair steady and gripping Emma's hand as she made her way tentatively onto the stool.

"Listen, Madame Mayor, this stool has been a complete ass to me all night and while I appreciate the help there is a valid reason it was necesscertain."

"Of course, Ms. Swan. Now, if you'll excuse me, I came here to have a moment to myself to think-"

"No thinking, Regina!" Ruby broke in, pressing a shot into the mayor's hands. Emma grabbed her own and with a lick of salt, she tossed it back happily and Ruby did the same.

"Well, I did come to get a drink, I just thought I'd be alone," Regina said, sighing in resignation and, with a what the hell shrug, sipped the shot before knocking it back. Ruby looked at Emma, her face impressed as Regina's showed no reaction.

At a signal from Ruby, the bartender slid the bottle of tequila over to her and she refilled their glasses. Emma turned to Regina as the woman turned towards her, the words dying on her lips as Regina licked the salt from her own. The blood rushed into her face with a roar and Emma felt her heart begin pumping loudly. She licked her own lips as she tried to drag her gaze away from the mayor's.

"I call a toast," Ruby said, lifting her shot glass into the air. Emma and Regina turned towards her, Emma immediately lifting her glass in the air. "To never playing any games without a safe word!"

"Cheers!" Emma called and was halfway through her shot before she began to wonder what Ruby meant. Emma and Ruby slammed their shot glasses on the bar as Regina placed hers politely back on the tray.

"Ok, I call a cheers... I mean a toast!" Emma said, swaying slightly and still trying to peer through her curls. Ruby quickly filled the shots over the weak protests of the mayor. Emma and Ruby lifted their glasses high... and waited.

"Emma?" Ruby prompted. "Your toast?"

"Oh yeah. Here's to .. I forgot what I was going to say."

"Then say something else," Ruby giggled. Regina rolled her eyes and made as if to leave the stool.

"To never playing games you don't intend to finish! Fuck safe words!" Emma toasted and Ruby burst into laughter, struggling to drink her shot between giggles. Emma tossed hers back, her own giggles causing her to spill some across her hand. She watched as Regina finished her own shot with a sigh and Emma realized that the mayor had just finished three shots in less than three minutes. Maybe. Her watch lied to her so how was she to know? Emma began to lick the drink from her hand and Ruby laughed.

"Body shots now, Emma?"

"You wish."

"Pfshh, you're too chicken. Want a safe word?"

"Spilling drink on yourself is a body shot?" Regina spoke up and Ruby laughed harder at the puzzled expression on the mayor's face. "Why on earth would anyone..." Regina's voice trailed off as she watched Emma suck her finger into her mouth then slide it out from between her lips, her tongue curled around the appendage as she cleaned it of the tequila. "... anyone want to... to do that..." Emma was surprised when Regina reached for the bottle and filled her own shot glass, quickly downing it before gasping for air.

"No, it's so much better," Ruby said though a smile and turned to Emma.

"You probably have never done it because..." Emma began but Regina cut her off.

"It isn't because of anything," Regina said indignantly.

"We have to show her how to do a body shot!" Ruby clapped excitedly and Emma shook her head causing more curls to fall over her eyes.

"No, no, no. I don't think that's a good idea."

"I can make my own decisions, Ms. Swan," Regina snapped and Emma turned to her in surprise.

"I don't think you should and here's why..." Emma said, wishing she could form the words her mind was screaming for her to say. "The why is because you shouldn't because I don't think you should." Emma nodded emphatically to seal her point.

"Oh, is that right?" Regina said and the tone of her voice caused Emma to groan as Ruby clapped. "I want to do a body shot this minute. Show me how it's done and then I will do it myself."

"Fine. You don't trust me? Fine. I'll show you how to do a body shot." Emma snarled as she grabbed the bottle and slid off her stool. She waited a moment to regain her balance before stepping closer to Regina. The woman gasped and her eyes widened as Emma's eyes dropped to the buttons of her blouse. Emma reached forward and her eyes narrowed as Regina flinched slightly as Emma tucked the mayor's hair behind her ear and tilted her head. Emma reached forward and deftly unbuttoned the top three buttons of Regina's blouse. This caused the brunette to jump and she was about to say something angrily before Emma leaned forward. "You asked for this, Madame Mayor," she said, her voice more husky and less angry than she intended. "Or are you willing to admit I was right?"

"Then do it, Emma. Don't make me wait," Regina said breathlessly as she licked her lips. Emma's eyes had caught on the barest hint of black lace peeking through Regina's unbuttoned shirt. With a deep swallow, her eyes devoured the curves of Regina's breasts. Emma leaned forward and ran her tongue from the top of one delicious breast across Regina's collarbone. She wasn't sure which of them moaned softly, but as Emma pulled away she noticed Regina's respiration had increased. Emma sprinkled salt across the wet trail she'd left across Regina's skin, her eyes never leaving Regina's as she leaned forward. At the last moment, she closed her eyes as her tongue traced its former path. She rolled and massaged the skin with her tongue as she cleaned the salt from Regina's skin. Emma thought she might fall as her knees threatened to buckle when she felt Regina's hand slide into her hair.

"Enough," Regina's voice was low and filled with an emotion that vibrated low within Emma's body. She felt as though she were going to burn up as she directed Regina to stand. Kneeling, Emma slid Regina's shirt up revealing a toned, tanned stomach that shivered as Emma's breath hit the smooth skin. Emma raised the bottle and tilted it against Regina's stomach, allowing a thin trickle of amber liquid to roll down the other woman. Emma ran her tongue over the exposed flesh, capturing the tequila in her mouth. Regina's taste mixed with the alcohol was heavenly and addictive and Emma poured a little more. She closed her lips around the skin, using her tongue to swirl and suck the liquid. Regina's hands were in Emma's hair, holding onto her as though she were an anchor in the stormy seas upon which Emma had set them adrift. As the last of the tequila disappeared, Emma stood, missing Regina's hands in her hair the second the woman dropped them to her sides. Emma took a small lime from the tray and carefully ran the lime over Regina's lips when the woman failed to open her mouth and accept it.

Leaning in to Regina, Emma gently pulled the other woman to her. As her breath crossed Regina's lips, she heard the other woman make a noise deep in her throat, a noise of passion and submission that caused Emma to melt. She was startled at how aroused she was and the realization of her need took away the last of her reservations. Emma closed the remaining inches and ran her tongue over Regina's lips catching the lime and completing the shot. Her body screamed at her to close her lips and turn the soft lick into a kiss, but Emma pulled back instead.

Regina's eyes were closed, her cheeks pink and heated, her mouth partially open. She leaned forward into the absence of Emma's presence before remembering herself and pulling back. Her eyes opened and Emma saw the chocolate depths were darkened with desire. Emma found herself leaning back towards Regina until a voice stopped her.

"That was fucking hot," Ruby said, turning a slamming back a shot. "Fucking hot." She turned to Regina with a smirk. "That, Mayor, was a body shot, and I believe your exact words were '_show me how it's done and then I will do it myself_'."

Regina turned towards Emma, her mouth beginning to form words, but whatever she was about to say came to a screeching halt as Snow burst through the door of the bar. Regina quickly took a step back and turned to the bar. Emma could see her quickly buttoning her shirt.

Snow's worried face quickly dissolved into anger and she put her hands on her hips as she stomped towards the three women at the bar. Each of them hurriedly took a shot before turning to face her.

"Emma Swan, I couldn't believe it when I heard you were here at the Rabbit Hole." Emma smiled, using a hand to steady herself on the bar as she turned towards her mother. "Oh my goodness, are you _drunk?" _She turned towards Ruby and Regina. "You are ALL drunk!"

"I am not snow, Drunk... no wait." Emma shook her head and began again. "I am not." She nodded pleased with herself. Her eyes caught Ruby's and she could tell the other woman was barely containing her laughter.

"She needed a break," Ruby said.

"Yeah, well her son has been worried about her all day. Mothers don't get breaks," Snow said.

"You got a twenty-eight year break," Emma said bitterly turning back to the bar. She was surprised when Regina took the bottle from her hand.

"I love you, Emma." Snow said quietly, blinking back the tears in her eyes. "Your son shouldn't see you this way."

"She can-" Ruby began but Regina interrupted quickly.

"She can stay with me tonight. My house is a short walk down the road." Ruby turned to the bar, a secretive smile on her lips. Emma looked at her questioningly and Ruby shook her head. Emma sighed. She was so tired of secrets.

"Mom, I'm gay," Emma said.

"I know, honey," Snow said, smiling and hugging her close. "I appreciate you telling me, but I'm still really mad at you. We'll talk when you get home tomorrow." Emma stood in shock as her mother left, her mouth hanging open. So much for secrets... She turned and Regina was looking at her, eyes wide and startled. Emma felt pleased that her revelation had at least been a surprise to someone.

Emma and Ruby leaned heavily on one another as they headed towards the door. The bartender had called Granny who was on her way to pick up the other woman. Emma hugged her as the car slid to a stop in front of them, the tires screeching on the pavement.

"Thanks, Red, I needed this."

"You won't thank me tomorrow," Ruby said with a laugh. She turned to go, smiling reassuringly at Granny who was watching Regina and Emma worriedly. "The fresh air will do them good," she answered before Granny could offer them a ride. As they drove off, Emma turned to Regina who was watching her intently.

They turned and began to walk silently and carefully. Regina didn't live far and the air did seem to clear her head a bit, but Emma still needed to walk slowly.

"I think Elphaba did put a spell on the ground," she said and Regina looked at her questioningly. "The ground is moving and I can't stop the sky from spinning. It's rather unusual." Regina laughed, the sound pushing past her lips before she could stop it. She put her arm around Emma's waist and had Emma put her arm over her shoulders.

"That better?" she asked and Emma nodded. She couldn't believe how good and right it felt to have Regina against her, their bodies so close she could hear every breath the mayor took. Emma's heart sped up as she inhaled the scent that was purely Regina- apples, vanilla, cinnamon. Tequila lingered along the woman's neck and Emma smelled the spicy scent as they turned up Regina's walk. The trees blocked out the light from the street lamps and they moved silently in the darkness to the door. Regina released Emma to fish out her keys and unlock the door. Emma felt surprisingly pleased to note that Regina was almost too drunk to fit the key into the lock. As they stepped inside, Regina closed the door quietly.

"You're so beautiful," Emma whispered into the darkness, her eyes drawn to the way the moonlight shining through the windows caressed Regina's curves. "So fucking beautiful," she murmured as she pressed Regina back against the door. Regina whimpered as Emma leaned forward and nuzzled the brunette's neck. "I could drown in your eyes," Emma continued as she kissed Regina's neck and trailed kisses up along her jaw. "I can't stop thinking about you," Emma said as she kissed the corner of Regina's mouth, her lips lingering along the swell of Regina's bottom lip. "I think about kissing you all the time; your mouth is so distracting." Emma nibbled Regina's bottom lip, her body melting into the mayor's as Regina's hands slid up Emma's back.

"What are you thinking about now?" Regina asked huskily, and Emma moaned at the desire she could hear laced through the words.

"Kissing you, touching you, fucking you," Emma answered, her hands trembling from where they pressed into the door on either side of Regina. "Being inside of you and looking down into your beautiful, expressive eyes as you cum. I'm wondering if you're thinking the same?" Emma brushed a kiss across Regina's lips and they both sighed. Regina's hands pulled Emma closer but just as quickly they gently pushed her away.

"I'm thinking you won't remember any of this in the morning," she whispered softly, her voice filled with longing. "I'm thinking I care too much to be a drunken decision." She grabbed Emma's hand and led her to the study. Emma's lips found Regina's neck as Regina pushed Emma's jacket down her arms and to the floor. "I'm thinking you're making this decision so hard," she groaned as she gently pushed Emma onto the couch. Kneeling, she removed Emma's boots. As Emma reached for her, Regina pressed Emma back into the couch, tucking Emma's coat under her head as a pillow. She kissed the shell of Emma's ear and as Emma arched off the coach with a moan, she took a shuddering breath and pulled away. She grabbed a blanket folded by the couch and spread it over the blonde. Emma couldn't seem to keep her eyes open as the warmth enveloped her. Regina smoothed the blonde curls back from her face.

"So beautiful," Emma whispered as her eyes closed, the alcohol combined with her lack of sleep over two days coming to claim her.


	8. Chapter 8

_She is everything to me,  
The unrequited dream,  
The song that no one sings,  
The unattainable.  
She's a myth that I have to believe in,  
All I need to make it real is one more reason. _

_- Vermilion pt.2 (Slipknot)_

"Emma. Emma!" Emma slapped at the hands shaking her back and forth. The motion was settling unpleasantly in her head and stomach.

"Wha... What? For the love of... what? Stop shaking me or I'm going to hurl." The hands immediately stopped shaking her. Emma blinked against the light coming through the window and groaned as her brain felt like it exploded against her skull. She cracked an eye and looked up into Snow's face. "Snow? Where are we?" Emma looked around.

"You're at Regina's sleeping on her couch. Emma, I know this is going to be hard for you but you have to wake up. There's an emergency and the town needs its sheriff."

Emma struggled to a sitting position, managing to keep her head from moving too much as she sat up. The door opened and Regina walked into view carrying a tray upon which a bottle of aspirin, a cup of coffee, and a bottle of Pedialite. Emma opened the bottle of aspirin and took six, washing them down with the bottle of Pedialite. Snow watched without saying anything.

"Thanks, Regina, for everything," Emma said including Regina letting her stay over last night. The last thing she remembered was... well Regina had been standing behind her. Had they done body shots? She shook her head. No, that couldn't be right.

"I brought you a change of clothes and Regina agreed to let you use her shower. I am going to need you to hurry. David is doing his best to maintain the peace, but... they are calling for you and nothing is deterring them."

"Who?" Emma said, and Snow held up her hands as Regina smirked.

"I couldn't even begin to explain. Let's just say there was a reason the witch left content with no interference." Emma's eyes widened and she stood slowly. The world tilted around her and she cleared her throat.

"I may still be a little drunk." Snow sighed and looked at her angrily. Emma smiled weakly.

"Ms. Swan, this way," Regina called, her tone even and neutral. Emma rose and followed the mayor, her eyes dropping to take in the way Regina's ass moved within her pants as they walked up the stairs. She loved when Regina wore black. Her eyes trailed up Regina's back and admired the soft white blouse that fit the woman so well. At the top, Regina led Emma to a room and walked through, opening the door to the connecting bathroom. Snow walked in behind them and dropped the clothing on the bed. She stood unsure where to go as Emma walked into the bathroom. She could hear Regina sigh and with a reluctance plainly noticeable in her voice invite Snow down for coffee.

Emma turned on the shower and let the water heat as she undressed. Her head was pounding and each movement felt as though her stomach was dangerously close to heaving. However, she could feel the pedialite and aspirin beginning to kick in as she stepped under the stream. She sighed as she felt the water running down her body. She wanted to enjoy the shower, but she knew that some emergency was demanding her attention.

As she washed her hair, she wondered about last night. How had she ended up at Regina's? Waking up on the couch she knew nothing interesting had happened. Was Ruby here too? Did she do a body shot off Regina? She shook her head and chuckled at her imagination. Emma quickly finished her shower and turned off her thoughts of Regina along with the water. She had to go outside and face whatever this was and she needed to armour herself. One way to make herself vulnerable was to think about the things she let herself feel for Regina.

She quickly dressed pulling on a pair of black cotton panties, tight blue jeans and a red Elizabeth bra. Snow had even remembered to bring her socks and Emma smiled as she pulled them on. She looked for her boots but realized she must have left them downstairs. She ran her fingers through her hair and carefully avoided the mirror as she headed towards the door. As she turned to grab a white tank top from the bed the door swung over and Regina walked in carrying Emma's boots. The look of distaste for Emma's boots slid from her face as her eyes fell on Emma's half dressed body.

"You forgot your boots downstairs," Regina said, her cheeks flushing as she dropped them and turned to practically flee from the room. Emma gulped a loud breath, her own cheeks flushing as she quickly pulled on her tank top and a soft grey sweater. Sliding her boots on, Emma struggled not to think about the look that had flashed briefly across Regina's face- desire, possessiveness. She took the stairs two at a time on the way down, wincing as each step caused her head to pound.

"Ms. Swan, my house is not a gym!" Regina said from the bottom of the stairs. "It sounds as though a herd of horses are stampeding down the stairs."

Emma ignored her and turned to Snow who was waiting patiently near the door.

"OK, Snow, spill," she said and Snow pointed to the door.

"Well, the problem is right outside, Emma. It's a delegation of... of..."

"Munchkins," Henry piped from behind them. Emma turned, her face softening in a smile. Henry was standing in the door of the kitchen, a slice of jellied toast held in his hand. Emma felt her heart give a little lurch as her eyes fell on the jelly on his cheek. Regina tssked and stepped forward to wipe it from his face, however Emma noticed that her smile and eyes were as soft as Emma's own felt.

"Come again, kid?"

"Munchkins, Emma, and a lot of them. They want to speak to you right away. Mom wanted to let you sleep longer but they followed Snow to her house."

"Henry, please don't speak with your mouth full. Either talk and then eat or eat and then talk." Emma shared a look with Henry and she widened her eyes at him and he giggled quietly. Regina turned with a scowl but Emma was already moving towards the door.

"Well, let's go see what this delegation wants." She turned to Snow as she reached the door. "Why is this an emergency, though?"

"Well, Emma, the delegation is more of a war council," Snow said and Emma couldn't help but snicker as Snow opened the door. Emma had to hurriedly close the door as about twenty faces, all belonging to people about five feet tall, turned towards her expectantly. She pressed her hands against her mouth and laughed causing her head to pound and her stomach to heave. She leaned on the door frame getting herself under control.

"Emma!" Snow's indignant voice cutting through her pounding head.

"I told you I was still too drunk to deal with this," Emma muttered low enough for Henry to not hear.

Emma opened the door once again and stepped inside. She smiled thankfully at Snow as she stepped out onto the porch with her, squeezing Emma's arm reassuringly. The fierceness shining in Snow's eyes straightened Emma's back and she turned to look over the Munchkin assembly.

"Emma Swan," a voice called out and Emma had to bite her cheek hard to keep from laughing at the sound of it. "I am Fole Dewitt, the mayor of Munchkinland. We have come to claim what is ours!" Emma stepped forward, noting that the mayor stepped back into a group of fierce looking munchkins holding maces. No, wait, they were holding... lollipops?

"First of all, if any of you sings anything I will shoot first and ask questions later," Emma said and Snow gasped disapprovingly. "Secondly, as far as I know, nothing here belongs to you. What I see is a bunch of peo... munchkinlanders... trespassing. I am the sheriff of Storybrooke and I will arrest you all if you do not immediately leave the premises. Now, we will walk down to the sheriff's station and work this out."

"Well, can we have breakfast first?" a voice called out and Emma saw an answering nod coming from the munchkin populace congregated on the lawn. Emma grinned at the thought of Ruby being hung over and dealing with feeding the throng.

"Mister Mayor, does this proposition meet your approval?" At his benevolent nod towards his people, they broke into cheering and she heard several start humming. Emma's hand crept towards her holster and the humming stopped as quickly as it had begun. The door opened spilling Henry out onto the porch. Regina quickly followed, her hands deftly turned the key in the lock. Emma's brows narrowed as she remembered Regina having trouble with the lock last night. As Regina turned she noticed Emma watching her and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, sheriff?"

"Oh, nothing," Emma murmured. She cleared her throat. "As this is obviously going to be a political debate, I'd like it if you could accompany us."

"I do realize that anything that doesn't involve kicking down doors and falling is over your head. After breakfast bring Mayor Dewitt to me at city hall." Emma nodded and smiled.

"As you wish, Madame Mayor," she said and turned. Henry and Snow walked down the steps with her as they approached Dewitt who thrust his chest out self importantly.

"Please, Mister Mayor, if you will follow me." As they walked down the street, Snow engaged the pint sized mayor in conversation as Henry leaned over to converse with Emma in low tones.

"I think they're here for the shoes," Henry said.

"But why? I thought only Elphaba was after the shoes?"

"Yeah, but her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East was queen of the Munchkins. I think now that Elphaba has given you the shoes they want to claim them." Emma nodded slowly.

"I think you're right, kid. But if I give the shoes to them, won't that mean that Elphaba will come out of retirement and start after the shoes again?" Henry walked for a few moments, thoughtfully chewing his bottom lip. Emma recognized her own mannerism and couldn't help the softness that bloomed suddenly and unexpectedly inside of her.

"I think she will," Henry said, "because the shoes will no longer be owned by someone worthy of them."

"What?"

"Well, I see it this way. It's like Elphaba put you through a test. Or like a... um... a job interview!" Emma nodded and and motioned for him to continue. "However, you're not scary like she is so when they found out she was no longer after the shoes the Munchkins decided to come claim the shoes."

"But wouldn't they be scared of me because she left me alone?" Henry shook his head.

"I don't think so because they'd know everything Elphaba did because she's their leader, kinda."

"You worked all this out in a day," Emma said and Henry nodded. Emma ruffled his hair with an affectionate smile. "Yeah, you are definitely the brains of this operation," she said and Henry smiled pleased. He leaned against Emma's arm in a hug. "I love you, kid."

The Munchkins took up most of the space in the diner and Emma had grinned at Ruby as the girl quickly took their orders. It irritated Emma that the girl looked as good as she usually did and didn't show one sign of a hangover. It irritated her even further that the girl's good mood didn't diminish at all, and as she took the orders for pancakes topped with candy and waffles covered with chocolate syrup she engaged the munchkins in friendly conversation. Emma grabbed her cocoa and went outside to wait on a bench. Henry came out moments later.

"Snow said she will stay in with them. They're calling her ambassador and she feels that it would be a rude and a huge breach of etiquette if she left them." Emma nodded and patted the bench beside her. They sat beside one another in silence for a moment before Emma turned to Henry.

"So what happens if I give them the shoes, though. Do they belong to the Munchkins?"

"No, Emma, they're yours and I suppose when they're not anymore they're hers." Henry turned to look up at Emma's and Emma thought his expression mirrored Regina's business face perfectly.

"She knew this would happen," Emma said and Henry nodded.

"That's what I said to Snow and why she thinks the munchkins are dangerous. She feels like Elphaba has a plan to get them from you since she herself can't touch you. Also, I think Elphaba wouldn't hurt innocent people like me, mom, Snow, David, Gold, and Belle so she has backed off to just let things run their course."

"Yeah, I never really felt she was wicked." Henry nodded and Emma knew he was thinking about the questions Elphaba asked her.

"You can ask me, Henry," she said quietly and he looked down at his hands.

"I'm sorry she asked those questions, Emma," he said. "I know that there is always a hundred things that go into one thought, that's what Mom said, and Snow said that you were very courageous answering truthfully. Don't feel like we are mad or anything," he finished and Emma hugged him.

"You are a special, kid," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I love you, Henry."

"I love you too, Emma. There was something that surprised me, though," he said hesitantly and Emma considered running away before he could say anything further.

"About Regina being my heart?"

"No," Henry said, his hand dismissing her question. Emma stared at him in confusion. "Everything you said and the questions leading up to that explained that. I was surprised that you didn't like David. I guess he is too." Emma swallowed hard searching for the words to explain it.

"I didn't know much of David except that he was married and that Mary Margaret was hopelessly in love with him. I thought that he was cheating on his wife, which I couldn't respect under any circumstances, and then he would run back to his wife and leave Mary Margaret hurting. Don't get me wrong, I know the truth now and I understand he was confused, but that part of me that issues with someone screwing someone else over just... reacted. Especially since Mary Margaret was a very good friend to me."

"She still is, you know," Henry said quietly. "Just because now you know someone that makes her even more special doesn't mean that isn't still your friend." Emma took in his face and his words and felt ashamed of herself. She nodded past the lump in her throat.

"None of us deserve you, Henry," she murmured quietly and he beamed. The door to the diner flew open and a bunch of satisfied munchkins spilled out. Mayor Dewitt was stalked self-importantly beside Snow who listened intently. They approached Emma and she stood.

"Mister Mayor, if you'll follow me to City Hall we will have our meeting in the presence of the Mayor of Storybrooke." Dewitt halted and visibly balked.

"You want us to go put ourselves in the hands of the Evil Queen..." Emma stepped forward, her voice low and menacing as she cut him off.

"Do. Not. Ever. call her that again," she bit off and he visibly gulped. "To you she is Madame Mayor or Mayor Mills. Do we have an understanding?" He nodded and swallowed loudly in the sudden stillness of the morning. Emma stepped back. "This way please."

She led the munchkin parade towards City Hall and was proud of the residents who accepted their munchkins presence by nodding or calling good morning as they passed. The munchkins visibly relaxed in the non-confrontational environment. As they approached the steps, Emma motioned the mayor forward.

"Bring your council only. And, no, don't try to tell me all of these peo... munchkinlanders... are your councilmen." Dewitt turned with a grumpy humph and called out.

"Fergus, Morlan, Britt, Hogal to me." They named munchkins stepped forward and Emma admired their proud bearing and stance. However, she knew that also spelled nothing but trouble. She led them inside and with a light tap on Regina's door it opened and the mayor stepped into the hall.

"We will meet in the conference room," she stated and led the way down the hall. Emma very pointedly didn't watch the munchkins take their seats. She knew she would laugh and she knew any chance they had of solving things with a conversation would be over. Once they were all seated around the table, Emma looked at Regina who nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Mayor Dewitt, please allow me to introduce Mayor Mills." The two nodded to one another and murmured pleasantries. "Now, elaborate and explain what it is exactly that you think you own and why." Everyone turned to look at her with a mixture of surprise, anger, and disappointment. Emma cleared her throat and added, "Please."

"The shoes belong to us," Dewitt said and the other munchkins nodded.

"Why?" Emma asked, leaning forward.

"Because they belong to our queen."

"Your disgraced queen," Regina said quietly and everyone turned towards her. "You are laying claim on something which belonged to someone you rejected," she said.

"That doesn't mean those aren't ours. One of our best men was turned into a tin man because of those shoes," the munchkin Fergus spoke up. Emma suddenly realized with a start that they were all dressed completely in blue.

"You rejected your queens and marched against Oz." Emma looked at the mayor in surprise. She hadn't known that and she was glad Regina did. Regina leaned forward suddenly. "Sheriff Swan earned those shoes from Elphaba herself who freely gave them to her. I suppose not of us are understanding why you are here," Regina said softly, her voice low and dangerous. Emma felt something within her move, heating her blood.

"Lord Thropp made the shoes for Nessarose but Elphaba enchanted them. We know they were made from glass beads given by a man named Turtleheart..."

"Who is Elphaba's real father and is also the Wizard of Oz" Britt interrupted Dewitt who shot him a death glare.

"That's why she wanted the shoes," Emma said quietly.

"He rejected her, like everyone else," Dewitt said with a shrug and Emma wanted to reach across the table and punch him in the face. Emma realized that Elphaba was as lost as she herself. She looked at Regina and saw the same expression on the mayor's face before Regina's mask fell back into place. It happened so quickly Emma wondered if she had even it.

"Governor Boq wants the shoes," Dewitt said. "He believes they can change him back. If you don't turn them over he will come for them and he won't be alone. There isn't enough people here to withstand our armies." The room quietened under the threat. Dewitt and his council slid from their chairs. Bowing deeply to Emma, he continued. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Swan. However, your situation is non-negotiable. I will return in the morning and seek your answer." They left silently leaving Emma alone with Regina, Henry, and Snow who sighed deeply as she looked down at her hands under the table.

"I don't see a way out of this," Snow said, "but I feel in my heart you shouldn't give them the shoes. They don't feel right to me, Emma. Something is so off about them and I can't place my finger on it, and I am prepared to help you defend against them." Emma smiled at the fierceness in Snow's voice.

"I'm going to go home and read about them," Henry said, his hands shoved in his pockets. "Mom always says that people are more predictable if you know their past behaviours." Regina smiled at him and he returned his smile. Snow stood and Henry did as well. He wanted to begin his research right away and Snow wanted to find David and fill him in. Emma hugged them goodbye and promised to see them for dinner. As the door closed behind the two, Emma asked the question that had been plaguing her.

"Do you think Elphaba knew?" Emma said quietly.

"That this would happen?" Regina asked and Emma nodded. "I don't know, but I would guess that she became tired- tired of the struggle, tired of the fighting, tired of being misrepresented and misunderstood." Regina paused and swallowed. Emma knew the mayor could have been describing herself. "She gave the shoes to you because she felt that something in you was courageous enough, smart enough, and caring enough to make the right decision." Emma lifted her eyes and met Regina's.

"Am I?" she asked, not expecting an answer and was surprised when she received one.

"Yes," Regina said quietly, her eyes lifting and searching Emma's. Emma felt breathless as the mask slid from Regina's face leaving her eyes and soft and filled with warmth. Emma's mind suddenly tossed in a visual of Emma lapping tequila from Regina's stomach, Emma pressing Regina against her door and nibbling the mayor's neck, Emma telling Regina exactly what she wanted from her... Emma gasped, her eyes going round as the memories danced in her mind.

"Did we...?"

"No," Regina said curtly, standing and moving towards the door.

"Why?" Emma asked, reaching for Regina's hand and stopping her from leaving the room.

"Because I said no," Regina said, slipping her neutral mask firmly in place.

"Oh," Emma said, letting her hand fall back to her side. She stood awkwardly, biting her lip.

"Would you really have wanted to?" Regina asked scornfully. "Now in the light of day, completely sober, would you honestly make the same decision?"

"Would you?" Emma asked challengingly. She stepped forward and Regina quickly stepped back.

"Ms. Swan, this is not the time for this discussion," Regina said, her voice husky and pleading. Emma didn't know what she was pleading for and she hated herself in that moment. Her inability to discern anything that would connect her to someone else; she hated that she was always alone- alone with her thoughts, alone with her emotions, alone with her dreams and hopes and desires.

"When is the right time?" Emma asked quietly, her voice as lonely as she felt. "When is the right time to tell you that I'm afraid something will happen to me before I can..."

"Before you can what, Emma?" Regina asked quietly, stepping towards her. Emma saw Regina warring with the same emotions that she felt battling within herself. She felt full of self-loathing, of a desire to scrub her past from existence and break the chains that bound it to her. She desperately wished she could find the words to express how close and alike she felt to Regina, how much a part of her needed their passionate outbursts because those moments were the only ones in which she truly felt alive. Neither she nor Regina were whole, neither of them capable of reaching out and yet here they were somehow managing to feel something together that they had both given up long ago- hope.

Emma slowly closed the distance, her hand lifting as though gliding through time to tuck Regina's dark hair behind her ear. How wonderfully adorable, Emma thought, as she stared at the fly away waves that threatened to undo Regina's carefully orchestrated appearance. Emma thumb traced Regina's bottom lip causing the mayor to catch her breath in her throat as her eyes closed. Emma felt her calm shatter and was seconds away from claiming the other woman's lips as her own when Regina's secretary entered the room. Her eyes widened in surprise as Emma quickly dropped her hand. Regina turned towards the woman with a scowl.

"Yes?" Regina said coldly, her eyes like twin glaciers. However she couldn't completely hide the relief she felt at the intrusion and Emma wondered for what exactly Regina felt relieved. Was it because she wasn't prepared to accept, face, or reject what Emma wanted to say?

"My apologies, Madame Mayor, I was coming to clean up after your conference. I saw your guests leave followed shortly by Snow White and Henry and I assumed the space was unoccupied."

"Thank you. We were just leaving. Good day, Ms. Swan," Regina said and left the room with a thousand things unspoken between them. Emma sighed and ran her hand through her hair. As she bounced down the steps and turned to head back to the sheriff's station, her eyes peered up at Regina's office window. She smiled as she saw a shadow in the shape of the mayor standing in Regina's window watching her leave.


	9. Chapter 9

_I'm the one that you need and fear  
Now that you're hooked, it's all becoming clear  
That all your judgments that you placed on me  
Was a reflection of discovery  
So maybe next time when you cast your stones  
From the shadows of the dark unknown  
You will crawl up from your hiding place  
Take a look in the mirror  
See the truth in your face  
-Whore (In this Moment)_

Emma listened to the cacophony of sound that swirled around her in a verbal windstorm. It completely irritated her when people went round and round the same conversation with no one giving an inch in either direction. One thing she had discovered from "talks" was that no one ever compromised on their true agenda. Everyone had something they walked into a meeting with, something they would fiercely guard and never yield. She didn't have the patience for these kinds of meetings and a quick look at the mayor revealed the same feeling reflected on her face. Emma's parents however tried to listen to everyone, pretending as though each person's opinion matter. Well, they didn't.

Emma wondered at what point Regina would lose her patience and take control of the meeting. Since the curse broke she had allowed Snow and David to rule the people; alone in her thoughts Emma was free to admit that she often preferred Regina's way of doing things. As though feeling Emma's thoughts on her, Regina looked up as she crossed her legs, her eyes finding Emma's. Emma didn't turn away and neither did Regina, their eyes staying locked as Regina crossed her arms. The action pushed her cleavage upwards and Emma nearly groaned as her eyes dropped to take in the line of silk. As her eyes slowly made their way back to Regina's she found the other woman looking at her with one eyebrow raised. Emma slowly licked her lips and noticed that Regina had a hard time not watching her tongue trace the line of her mouth. Emma smiled and Regina rolled her eyes before looking back towards Leroy who was adamantly arguing for... something...

"_You're a tease," _Emma quickly texted the mayor, wanting to continue the communication their eyes had begun. She saw Regina look at her phone as it vibrated in her hand, her eyes widening as she read Emma's text.

"_Sheriff Swan, we are in the middle of a critical discussion which happens to center around you. I'd suggest you stop being a nuisance and participate- or at least listen." _Emma had forgotten to silence her phone and she winced as a robotic voice made a series of unintelligible sounds. Snow looked at her disapprovingly and Emma smiled weakly. "_Nice, Ms. Swan."_

"_It's hard to concentrate when you take such deep breaths."_

"_You know this is sexual harassment, right? If your parents weren't so infuriating I wouldn't be taking such deep, calming breaths."_

"_That wasn't harassment." _Emma looked up from beneath her lowered lashes and smiled to herself as Regina tried not to look at her, tried not to show Emma that she was curious what Emma would say next. "_Telling you that I can't stop thinking about how you feel and wondering what you taste like, that could be harassment." _Regina was taking a sip of water as she received Emma's text and Emma smiled as the mayor sputtered, nearly spitting her water across the tabletop.

"_You are ridiculous. That will never happen or has it escaped your attention that I detest you?"_

"_What hasn't escaped me is that when we are close to one another it's like the entire world could fucking tear itself apart and all I'd see is you." _

Regina's eyes widened at the text and she looked up. As brown eyes met green, Emma felt a rush of energy between them and she nearly groaned as Regina's breathing grew shallow. Emma realized in that moment that she wanted Regina more than she had ever dared admit to herself before this moment. Emma already knew her decision regarding Dewitt's ultimatum and she knew with sudden clarity that she wanted to feel something before she didn't have the chance.

Regina tore her eyes off of Emma's, and Emma watched her swallow deeply. She stood with a sigh before whistling to get everyone's attention. Snow looked at her in surprise, David in relief.

"Your opinions are pretty pointless so I don't know why you're arguing. I'm not giving those creatures something that I believe is precious and valuable for reasons they could never understand." Emma held up her hands as several people began to speak at once. "I didn't ask for a discussion or for you to try and change my mind. I will fight to the death for this, but I don't expect any of you to fight beside me. Not only did I have to wear the hideous things, but I went through a personal hell to keep these shoes safe, and, even though now I realize I was auditioning to become their new guardian, it cost me in ways none of you will ever understand. So, no," Emma finished lamely, "none of you get an opinion."

"Emma-" Snow began, her voice shocked, but Emma held up her hand to silence her before striding down the aisle. The town hall erupted angrily behind her, but Emma didn't care. In all honesty, she never truly had.

"Emma, you cannot speak like that to this town's leaders and definitely not its citizens who are doing nothing more than trying to figure out the best way to support you." Emma was surprised to hear her mother's voice. She honestly thought Snow would stay to soothe the people.

"Snow, when someone storms out after making a statement like that it kinda makes them look like a petulant child when their mother rushes after them."

"At least you realize that you're acting like a child," Snow snapped, her eyes flashing. Emma recalled several stories she had heard of her mother's infamous temper and realized that she might actually be on the receiving end of it for the first time.

"What I'm acting like is the saviour that everyone expects me to be. Don't think for a minute that they didn't appreciate me taking the decision to throw my life away out of their hands." Snow looked at her in shock.

"Is that what you truly believe was happening in there?" At Emma's nod, Snow stepped up to Emma, her hands fisted at her side as she gazed up angrily into her daughter's eyes. Emma took a step back and Snow stalked forward. "Did it never occur to you that those people are so used to being terrorized and frightened that they immediately fall back into their old behaviour patterns? There was no winning against Regina, Emma, all you could do was find a way to try and survive her wrath." Emma swallowed, her eyes growing wider as her mother closed the remaining space, her finger in her daughter's face. "These are people who could _never_ fight back because they didn't stand a chance and yet every single one of them in there supported me and stood by me."

"I didn't..." Emma cleared her throat. "I didn't think of it like that, Snow."

She shook her head and looked back at Emma, the anger in her eyes replaced by love. "Can I walk with you to get Henry?" Emma shrugged and nodded, uncomfortable with the intimacy of sharing a talk and a walk with Snow. She had left Henry with Neil and Gold and she realized that she would actually like Snow to be there as opposed to face the two men alone.

They walked in silence and just as Emma relaxed, Snow cleared her throat. Emma almost groaned as delicate throat clearing was always a sure sign that a serious conversation was soon to take place. Emma had always dreaded silences followed by the sound of a throat being cleared. It was as though the person was swallowing and choking on the things they wanted to say, and it was never good news.

"Just say it," Emma said as Snow cleared her throat again.

"Why Regina?" Snow asked almost instantly and Emma wished her mother was someone who danced more around issues instead of cutting to the chase. It was always easy to forget how fierce Snow White could be. Emma ran her hand through her hair and looked around. There was no one on the street, no escape possible.

"I don't-" Emma began and Snow cut her hand in front of her as though physically cutting Emma off mid-denial.

"Don't tell me you don't know," Snow said quietly. "You are as impulsive as I am but I know that you know the why of the things you do. I want to know you, Emma- I want to understand you."

"It surprises me that _that_ is the answer I gave that you would need clarification for," Emma said.

"That's the only answer you gave that I couldn't understand," Snow said fiercely, turning her head but not before Emma saw the shine of tears in her eyes. She felt ridiculously proud of her mother for not allowing a single tear to fall. "So, please, tell me why the one person who took everything from us, who ruined your life more than anyone else's, who has murdered, terrorized, enslaved, and used to achieve her own goals... why her? What does it mean that Regina is your heart?"

"Regina is like looking in a mirror for me," at Snow's sound of protest, Emma silenced her by raising her hands and continuing. "No, I haven't murdered but I've used people, ruined people, hated, terrorized, and loathed my way through much of my life- because that's what I had to do to protect what little of me I had left on the inside. When I hear Regina's story, I know there's so much more behind the things she did because there is so much to my story that no one will ever know. It's hard for me to equate the Regina I know here and now to the person you talk about. When I see Storybrooke and look at how well it was laid out, how everyone was given a job and something to do that suited them, how she has not once abused her power, it doesn't reek of evil to me. I see someone who wanted happiness, who wanted people to forget what they knew of her, but I also see someone who could never let go and trust in happiness. Not because she knew I was out there destined to break her curse, but because she knew deep down that you all despised her."

"How can you defend her?" Snow asked, her face growing ashen as she listened to Emma.

"Because I am her," Emma said quietly. "This war with Regina," she paused trying to gather her thoughts, "it's made me truly look at her and it's like looking in a mirror. As much as I want this," Emma pointed between her and Snow, "I will never actually have it because I will never trust it. I will always wait for the shoe to drop because that's the way it always has been."

"Which is Regina's fault!"

"And not yours? Do you even know how much of a fucking apology you owe me? I get that in light of everything that has happened with Regina you have forgotten that you were the cause of it, but don't stand there and tell me that you couldn't have made a different choice when it came to me. I was there in the echo caves, Snow, I heard you dismiss me from your life because I grew up without you. I know that you want to replace everything I should have been to you with another child who will grow up to be far more special to you that I could ever hope to be. So yeah, I get Regina on a level that you will never understand. She's the only person to me who is real, who doesn't pretend she didn't make the choice to royally fuck up my life. Sometimes when she looks at me it's like I can't breathe because I see so much truth in her eyes."

"Oh my god," Snow said, turning on Emma angrily. "Are you even listening to yourself?"

"I've listened to you. The entire time in Neverland when I was searching for my son, _your grandson_, your only concern was David and the fucked up lie he told and decision he made. You can't even accept Henry as truly something that belongs to you and you know it, but you never admit it."

"I'll never admit something which isn't true," Snow said fiercely and Emma sighed. She knew she would never be able to get Snow to understand that _this_ was the draw Emma had to Regina- Regina was honest with herself, about herself, and about others. She could admit to the darkness inside of her, the small voice that could shout louder than any lie the mouth could tell.

"Emma!" Henry said, running towards the two woman who stood angrily facing one another in the middle of the street. Emma allowed herself the small smile she reserved for Henry, and as she knelt to hug him, her eyes fell on a black Mercedes driving silently away. Emma wondered how much of the conversation Regina had overheard. "Are you guys OK?"

"We're fine," Emma said and heard Snow snort behind her. Henry looked between the two of them with confusion. "Snow and I disagree on what I will tell the Munchkins tomorrow, and we were discussing it."

"Actually, I agree with you one hundred percent," Snow said causing Emma's mouth to fall open.

"Then what was all that just now?" She said pointing down the street towards the town hall.

"I was disagreeing with how you talked to the people."

"Emma definitely has a way with words," Neil said as he walked up on the conversation, causing Emma to roll her eyes. Snow chuckled lightly.

"That's an understatement," she said, squeezing her daughter's arm affectionately.

"Henry, if you need anything or think of anything, don't hesitate to call me or the old man and run your ideas by us," Neil said, kneeling and looking his son in the eyes.

"I will," Henry said, his button nose scrunched up into his serious face.

"Now, hey, can you give me and your mom a second?"

"Sure," Henry turned to take Snow's hand. Snow threw a worried look at Emma as Henry led her off, his voice going nonstop as he talked about everything he, Gold, and Neil had discussed that night.

"So, dad and Henry are scarecrows? Your parents are courage. Um, who was your heart?"

"None of your business," Emma said turning to go.

"Was it... was it me?" Neil asked and Emma rolled her eyes.

"No."

"Am I anything?" he asked, his eyes searching Emma's in the darkness.

"Yes. You're one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made." She heard him gasp as her insult hit home. She turned to watch Henry and Snow as they walked down the street. "I don't know how the two of us created something so wonderful."

"Because you're wonderful," Neil said quietly.

"Yeah, that's why everyone was so willing to give me up to save their own asses. Including you." She turned to Neil, her anger rising as he grabbed her arm.

"I didn't do that, Emma! You had a destiny-"

"Get your damn hands off me," Emma said shrugging him loose. "A person you didn't even know comes out of the woodwork- haha, no pun intended- to tell you that you need to leave me because I have a destiny and you drop me like a hot pocket." At his strange look, Emma impatiently explained. "Who the fuck picks up hot potatoes anymore? It's time we bring our cliches into the new age."

"You're one of the strangest people I've ever met," Neil said wonderingly. Emma turned and walked off, anger rushing through her still from her conversation with Snow and with Neil. "Good night, Emma," Neil called after her, his voice laced with laughter. Emma hated that she had been able to make him smile when all she wanted to do was hurt him as much as he had hurt her years ago.

"_Need some time to think. Will you see to Henry?" _She texted Snow who immediately responded.

"_Of course. Tell Neil I said hi."_

Emma growled. Of course Snow would assume that she would be with Neil. However, having a son together did not give Neil the right to drop back into their lives and assume that he was in any way a part of it. If Henry chose to see his father, Emma wasn't going to stop him but she had had enough of Neil and his bullshit. She was still ashamed of how she had tried to be with Neil only to have him reject her for some psychotic bitch. And why had she tried to be with Neil? Because she'd do anything for Henry, but once she realized that Henry didn't have a fairy tale idea that his parents would get back together, she felt better about just being herself and realizing that she didn't have the feelings that she thought she had once had.

She looked up in surprise as she realized she had walked to Regina's house. She looked down the walk at the silent house wondering what Regina was doing, what she was thinking.

"_Thinking about me?" _Emma texted, her eyes focusing on the upstairs window where a low lamp burned. "_Because I'm thinking about you."_

"_What are you thinking?" _Regina replied after long moments and Emma sighed low in her throat, her imagination beginning to run rampant. Regina knew in what context Emma meant and she still wanted to know.

"_Let me come inside and I will tell you," _she typed as she climbed the walk, hitting send as her boots hit Regina's porch. She almost gave up waiting for a response to her text, and, just as she turned to leave, the door opened. Regina hadn't turned on any lights downstairs leaving her lit only by the silver light of the moon falling in beams through the trees.

"You're impossible, Ms. Swan," Regina said quietly as she leaned her back against the doorjamb, one leg tucked behind the other. She was dressed in a black silk nightie, a thin black dressing robe thrown over the ensemble and pulled loosely together. Her feet were bare and Emma couldn't tear her eyes away from Regina's bare feet and legs. All that deliciously smooth skin on display in the moonlight was almost more than she could handle. Regina sighed and held the door open wide allowing Emma to enter. Emma quickly slid out of her boots, knowing the rules of Regina's house well at this point. Regina followed her inside, turning to latch the door softly behind them. Regina continued to face the door and Emma watched as the other woman steeled herself to turn and face her.

"How much did you hear?" Emma asked quietly, her question filling the space between them. Regina stiffened slightly but didn't turn around. Emma's eyes memorized the shape of Regina's calves, the backs of her knees- Emma swallowed hard- the curve of her hips.

"Enough." Emma stood still, a few feet from Regina as the mayor turned. Regina's hair fell over one eye and Emma felt desire begin to run hot in her veins as Regina slowly pushed it out of her face, looking at Emma from beneath long, dark lashes. Regina bit her bottom lip nervously and Emma felt as though she were beginning to hum with the electricity flowing through her. "Is that what you were thinking?" Regina asked huskily, chocolate eyes glancing away before rising to meet Emma's.

"No," Emma said, standing still, her heart beating loudly. She was afraid to move, afraid she'd ruin the moment. Her eyes swept down Regina's body and oh god was that nightie ever short. The hem barely reached the top of Regina's smooth, tanned thighs. Emma wanted to fall to her knees and worship Regina.

"You aren't the person I thought you were when I first met you," Regina murmured. "You're so much more, so deep and vast. You're an ocean that I find myself drowning in- drowning because I don't know how I ended up there." Emma let her jacket slide from her arms as Regina spoke. It hit the floor in a red puddle behind her, but she only saw the dark of Regina's eyes, the curve of Regina's lips as she spoke. "You're right about me, but you're also so very wrong. If I were truthful with myself- and with you- then I would have admitted long ago what it is that I want from you."

"It's hard to share thoughts like that when you're always in conflict, never knowing if the other person will reject you," Emma said quietly. She watched as Regina shrugged out of her robe revealing smooth arms that Emma ached to feel around her.

"I'm not rejecting you," Regina said, and Emma saw the pulse in the other woman's throat increase as Emma began to lift her sweater over her head. Emma thought she had never seen anything sexier than Regina Mills as she licked her lips, her eyes undressing Emma of the tank top she still wore.

The moonlight through the windows brightened as Emma pulled her tank top over head. She heard Regina inhale deeply as Emma unclasped her bra and let it fall to the floor. She undid the top button of her jeans and paused, her thumb hooked in the band of her pants. She watched Regina's face as the other woman's eyes caressed her body.

"Then what are you doing?" Emma asked, her voice husky and low, dangerous even to her own ears. Regina took a step forward and Emma mimicked the action.

"Waiting for you to kiss me," Regina answered as Emma fisted her hands in Regina's hair. It was so soft, Emma thought, as soft as she knew it would be. She gazed down into Regina's eyes, giving the other woman time to change her mind, time to decide that Emma wasn't what she wanted. But that moment never came. She watched as Regina's eyes fluttered closed as her lips partly slightly in a silent plea to be kissed. Emma indulged herself for a moment and kissed Regina's full bottom lip. She couldn't count the number of times she had thought how kissable Regina's bottom lip looked when the other woman was fighting with her.

"Fuck," Emma groaned as Regina's hands slid around her waist and up her back, her nails lightly scratching. Emma threw her head back as Regina trailed kisses over Emma's neck, her tongue swirling over Emma's pulse point causing it to leap. Emma leaned down and captured Regina's mouth with her own, backing the other woman against the door as her tongue licked lightly over Regina's lips, begging entrance. Their kiss deepened and Emma let go of Regina's hair to run her hands over Regina's thighs. The brunette moaned into her mouth and Emma felt so intensely that she didn't think she could breathe anymore.

Regina gently pushed Emma away and looked into her eyes for long moments, biting her lip sexily. She was breathing hard, her chest heaving with her breaths and Emma was fascinated as she watched.

"Looking at you is like looking into a mirror," Regina said breathlessly as her hands wound through Emma's blonde curls. "But where you see a reflection of darkness I see a reflection of light. I understand you because you are the light that flickers within me, the person I could have been. Every time I'm with you I believe in true love, fate, and happily ever afters. I feel like you look at me and truly see me and I... I like the way I look in your eyes."

Emma twined her fingers with Regina's and lifted the other woman's hand to her mouth where she kissed Regina's palm. Regina turned and led her to the stairs. As they reached the bottom step, Emma realized that she desperately needed to feel Regina's kiss. Regina's arms went around Emma's neck as they kissed passionately, their sighs melting into one another. Emma's hands trailed lightly down Regina's arms, down her sides, down to her thighs where they slid up her the nightie. The heat she could feel coming from Regina- she needed that. She growled as Regina pushed her away.

Regina once more took Emma's hand and led her up the stairs. Emma watched as Regina's ass swayed as she took the steps in front of her, nearly swooning as the smell of Regina's desire tickled against her senses with the motion. She didn't think she would survive the climb to the second floor, and as they reached the landing, Regina seemed to have the same thought. She turned and pulled Emma to her, her tongue tracing Emma's lips and thrusting slowly between them, foreshadowing what she wanted to do. Emma moaned, the sound quickly caught and swallowed by Regina as she walked backwards, her lips never leaving Emma's as she led them towards her room.

"I want you," Emma groaned as Regina sucked Emma's nipple into her mouth. It had been so long since anyone had touched her physically and she didn't know if she could stand the onslaught of Regina's mouth as she took Emma's nipple lightly between her teeth and lathed her tongue against it. Emma felt her knees begin to buckle. Regina quickly led Emma inside her room and towards the bed.

A book was open face down on the night table and Emma felt her heart beating in her throat at the pure intimacy of the moment. She was being accepted not just into Regina's bed, but into her home, into her life. Emma gently traced the curve of Regina's jaw, her eyes filled with unspoken emotion.

"You never did tell me what you were thinking, Ms. Swan," Regina said, her voice throaty with arousal, " so why don't you show me instead?" Regina's hand was caressing the sides of her own breasts and Emma felt almost feral as she pressed Regina back onto her bed. She loved the way the mayor looked against the black comforter in the golden light of the small bedside lamp.

"You're so fucking beautiful," Emma stated passionately as knelt with one knee between Regina's. Emma slid to the floor, her mouth kissing and licking Regina's ankles and legs as she gently spread her them apart. Regina's hands were in Emma's hair as she nibbled the backs of her thighs then licked and suckled her way up. As her mouth approached the hem of the nightie, Emma proceeded higher to capture Regina's cloth covered nipple between her teeth, nipping at the hard nipple captured in her mouth.

"More," Regina murmured, her voice breathy and pleading as she pushed Emma's head down. Emma slid her hands up Regina's thighs, pushing the nightie up as she went revealing black lacy panties. Emma almost didn't recognize the moan that came from her own throat as she planted kisses against the gusset, her tongue swirling to taste the scent that had captivated her on the stairs. Regina cried out as Emma's tongue pressed hard against the cloth. Emma grabbed the waistband of Regina's panties and began to slide them down. She watched intently as Regina's sex came into view and groaned when she discovered it was smooth and slick with arousal.

"You are so gorgeous," Emma said reverently as she finished sliding Regina's panties to the floor, her eyes looking up to meet Regina's in the low light. Regina's cheeks were flushed with her desire and Emma found herself momentarily flummoxed. Which set of lips should she kiss? Regina made the decision for her as she pulled Emma to her, their kiss soft and sensual, a playing of tongues and lips. With unhurried motions, Emma slid her hand down Regina's stomach and to her center. She gasped as Regina spread her legs and Emma wondered if there was anything that could make one feel more powerful and more humble at the same time than a woman spreading her legs and surrendering her secrets.

"Touch me," Regina murmured against Emma's lips, her eyes half lidded with pleasure. Emma slid a finger through her lips and groaned at the copious fluid that wet it. She raised her hand and placed her finger against their lips, their kiss sucking and licking Regina's arousal from Emma's finger. Emma felt sometime primal in herself snap and she slid her left hand into Regina's hair as her right hand fell back to move against Regina's sex. With deft motions, Emma spread Regina's lips and began to run her finger up and down Regina's center, barely allowing the tip of her finger to enter the other woman before sliding it up to circle her clit. Regina's hips lifted off the bed, her breath hot against Emma's mouth as she whimpered her pleasure.

"I'm going to taste you now," Emma whispered into Regina's ear, pausing to swipe the shell with her tongue. "I'm going to slide my tongue up and down you just like this." Regina bit her lip as Emma trailed kissed down her throat and across her breasts, sliding down, her eyes never leaving the dark eyes above her. She couldn't help but close her eyes, however, as her tongue slid down Regina's slit becoming coated in the arousal she found. Emma moaned softly, her voice vibrating against Regina who arched off the bed with a gasp. Emma began by sucking each lip into her mouth, her tongue lapping up every drop she could reach of Regina's delicate taste. True to her word, Emma began by licking at the bottom of Regina's sex, thrusting her tongue inside Regina before sliding it slowly up to circle Regina's clit. Regina's hands were thrust into her hair, urging her, encouraging her, trusting her.

"Emma," Regina breathed above her as Emma slid her hands down Regina's legs to cup her feet, worshiping her as her mouth, lips, and tongue slid up and down the other woman. At the sound of her name spoken in Regina's throaty whisper, Emma lifted Regina's legs onto her shoulders, her hands cupping Regina's deliciously ample bottom, lifting the other woman into her wet kisses. "Oh, god, Emma!" Regina moaned, her hips thrusting up into the Emma's mouth. Emma regretfully released Regina's bottom so she could slide a finger inside the other woman. Emma groaned as Regina's tight walls closed around her as Regina cried out.

Emma sucked Regina's clit gently between her teeth, her tongue lathing against it in hard circles as her fingers pressed inside,slowly at first, allowing the storm to build. She began to thrust harder and faster as Regina's hips rocked harder against her. Regina arched off the bed, her head turned into the bed as she tried to bite back the screams building inside her as Emma curled her fingers against the slick, rough spot deep within. Emma could feel the thick arousal of the other woman, the slow pulse that began deep inside and swelled against her fingers before releasing in a flood as the muscles bloomed like a flower opening before clenching tight against her. Regina was coming undone beneath her and it made Emma feel awed that Regina had shared this with her.

"Emma! Emma! Yes!" Regina moaned over and over, her hands knotted in Emma's hair as she rode the crest of orgasm. Emma ran her left hand up Regina's body, her senses delighting in the feel of Regina straining against her. As Regina came down, Emma planted kisses across her thighs and across her sensitive sex before Regina pulled her up to hold her tightly in her arms. Emma leaned over Regina, their foreheads touching, staring into one another's eyes as entire worlds were born and died in the moment they held.

"Regina," Emma said softly, her voice filled with the awe and emotion she couldn't put into words. Regina reached up and stroked Emma's cheek, her eyes fluttering as Emma's fingers sought her center once more. "Regina," Emma breathed, the word a mantra as she entered the wet warmth that she knew was more addictive than anything else in this world.

"It's always been you, Emma," Regina said softly through the pleasure that began to course once more through her system. Her hands gently pushed through Emma's blonde curls as her hips arched into Emma's fingers. She tipped over the edge slowly, the orgasm breaking gently through her like the last curl of a wave against the shore.

"I'm so into you," Emma whispered. Regina began to nibble softly at her neck before brushing over Emma's nipple. Emma felt so aroused she thought she might lose it right then... and then Emma's phone rang in her pocket, vibrating against their legs and causing the moment to screech to a halt. She felt Regina smile against her skin as the phone stopped ringing only for the person to call back immediately. "Someone is treading on thin ice," Emma said huskily and Regina laughed.

"It could be Henry," Regina said quietly and Emma groped in her pocket for the phone, taking advantage of the moment to suck Regina's bottom lip between hers and nipping it lightly.

"Yes," Emma said in answer.

"Emma? Are you alright? No one has seen you and you haven't come home."

"I'm fine, Snow. I'm... busy," Emma said, smiling down at Regina.

"Oh. I see," Snow said flatly. "Your father and I want to discuss tomorrow with you..."

"I don't know when I'll be home." Emma said, her eyes rolling back into her head as Regina slid underneath her and began licking the toned muscles of her stomach. She bit her lip to keep from moaning as Regina's tongue licked the patch of skin revealed by Emma's open button.

"Emma? Are you alright?" Snow asked worriedly and Emma assured her she was fine, trying not to sound as out of breath as she felt. "Will you be home tonight?" Regina shook her head no as she smiled up into Emma's eyes, her fingers hooking into Emma's belt loops and pulling down her pants as she unzipped them with her teeth.

"Fuck!" Emma gasped before she could stop it. "I mean, not you Snow, I just have something.. I mean I need to go. I'm OK, more than OK, I'm busy but I'll see you tomorrow morning, OK?"

"Oh my god," Snow groaned, the realization of what Emma was doing slapping her in the face. "Good night, Emma," she said quickly and hung up. Emma dropped the phone as her pants hit the floor looking down as Regina ran her beautiful mouth over Emma's black cotton panties.

"Don't tease," Emma gasped as Regina pulled her panties to the side and lapped teasingly at Emma's lips.

"I'm making promises," Regina said throatily, her voice vibrating against Emma's sex. She pulled Emma's panties down, her own impatience to know the taste of her lover shoving her over the edge and into the act. Emma knelt up on Regina's mouth, her hands falling behind her to hold onto Regina's as the brunette tongue fucked Emma, her tongue twisting and rolling deep inside her sex. Emma had never felt anything like what Regina was doing to her, and she shuddered as Regina's mouth dipped lower to tease Emma's forbidden fruit before tracing against Emma's clit in a rhythm she soon learned Emma loved.

Emma rocked against Regina's mouth, her chin against her chest as she looked down into Regina's dark fucking beautiful eyes before she threw her head back and came screaming Regina's name. Emma didn't just come undone, she felt as though her consciousness shattered into a thousand pieces before falling back into her, each piece fitting together more smoothly as Regina licked away the rough edges. Emma reached down between her legs and wrapped her hands in Regina's hair, urging the woman to not stop until she was bucking towards a second orgasm that left her trembling and crying out, her cum flooding across her lover's mouth and chin in appreciation.

Regina slid from under Emma, licking her lips and chin as she kept her hand on Emma's back so Emma stayed on knees. Regina knelt behind Emma, pulling the blonde's head around to kiss her as her fingers plunged into the her. Emma couldn't stop the words of encouragement and fulfillment that tumbled from her lips unintelligibly as Regina took everything Emma was offering and made it her own. Regina bit down softly on Emma's shoulder and Emma flooded her hand with a gush of her juices.

"I fucking love that," Regina said, playing in the mess Emma had made in her hand. "I. Fucking. Love. That you came all over me." Emma collapsed face first onto the bed barely noticing as Regina pulled her nightie over her head and lay nude beside her.

"You said fuck," Emma said with a giggle as she pulled Regina closer to her.

"Sometimes it's the only word that can truly emphasize a point." Regina cuddled closer, lying on her stomach, facing Emma.

"You're fucking fantastic," Emma said in agreement as she lifted her leg and draped it across Regina's. They stared into one another's eyes for what felt like hours, each not wanting to move, not wanting to be the first to break the moment. Emma closed the distance and pressed her lips to Regina, their kisses warm and tender. As they turned into one another Emma knew that whatever happened tomorrow she would never regret a minute of how she spent the previous night.


	10. Chapter 10

Emma awakened to the feel of hair tickling her nose, the smell of sex, and the sound of someone pounding on the front door. She cracked her eyes and smiled as she realized she was lying half on Regina, her arms and legs possessively around the brunette who looked absolutely adorable as she slept. Emma wanted to become lost in her fascination of Regina's incredibly long and thick lashes but the banging on the door sounded again and she could faintly hear someone yelling.

The sound began intruding on Regina's dreams and Emma watched with a smile as her brows crinkled then smoothed out. It was a unique thing to watch someone awaken, to watch as they became aware, to see their first reaction to the new day. Regina's lips curved into a contented smile even as consciousness was still blooming in her mind and Emma released a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Good morning," Regina purred and the sound of her voice alone was enough to make Emma's body respond. Sensing the sudden tension in Emma's body – or probably feeling the slight thrusting Emma was doing against her side – Regina hid her face in the bed with a small laugh.

"Someone is at your door," Emma said and Regina peeked at her, eyebrow raised.

"You don't say," she deadpanned. Emma leaned forward and kissed Regina's shoulder, her hand beginning to rub circles on Regina's back. Emma had had so much fun biting, licking, and marking Regina's back and shoulders and she traced her fingers around several passion stains.

"We can just ignore it..." she began but cut off mid-sentence as the pounding sounded again. "... or not."

"I don't answer the door when I haven't brushed my hair yet," Regina said with a yawn. Emma loved Regina's tangled waves and she carefully memorized every detail of how Regina looked lying on the bed, the golden morning sun shining through the window as though spotlighting her perfection.

"I can get it, if you'd like. I mean I don't know if you want me to stay hidden or if you're OK with someone knowing I was here..."

"EMMA SWAN GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" Emma's eyes widened as Snow's voice sounded directly under Regina's window. She gulped and as she turned wide eyes to Regina they narrowed at the look of glee on the other woman's face.

"Your mom came to escort you on your walk of shame," Regina teased. Emma picked up a pillow and smacked her with it.

"I don't even know where all my clothes are," she groaned as she climbed off the bed and slipped into her jeans. She found her phone curled in the bedspread and she tried to call Snow to tell her to be quiet before she brought Jesus back. "And my phone's dead. Of course." Before she left the room, Emma leaned over and kissed Regina's bare bottom causing the other woman to gasp. "You." Kiss. "With the sexy, distracting ass." Kiss. "You need to get up, brush your hair, and come to breakfast with me." Emma finished with a soft slap and Regina's breath caught. Emma wanted nothing more than to get back in bed and continue directly from where they'd left off last night... well, this morning.

She took the stairs two at a time and heard Regina call down something about circus animals as she reached the bottom. She spotted her shirt and Snow looking through the window at the same time. She would never be able to reach her clothes sitting in the foyer without her mother seeing her through the window. She bit her lip nervously.

"Emma! You have one more minute or so help me I am calling your father and we are breaking down this door. I know you're in there because _your boots are out here on the porch_!" Emma quickly grabbed her tank top and threw it on as she heard Snow stomping back over to the door. She grabbed her jacket and frantically looked for her sweater as she unlocked the door and opened it.

"YOU ARE GROUNDED!" Snow White said as she stomped into the house. "Your phone goes directly to voice mail, you don't call, you don't tell me where you are! Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

"You can't ground me..." Emma said and Snow turned on her furiously.

"What are you doing here, Emma? Hmm?" Snow raked her eyes from Emma's head to bare toes, her brows raising as she spotted Emma's sweater. "Did you sleep with her?" She gasped.

"We actually didn't do a lot of sleeping," Regina said from the top of the stairs and Emma felt her face begin to flame with a blush.

"You are talking about my daughter! Did you trick her?" Snow growled as she stepped menacingly towards the stairs. Emma put her hand on her mother's arm.

"Mom! I... it isn't what you think. OK, maybe it is, but it isn't entirely what you think. I came for Regina..."

"Many times," Regina murmured with a smile as she slowly descended the steps.

"Sweet baby Jesus Freudian slip... TO... I came TO Regina, she didn't... wait... fuck, I forgot my point."

"Grounded," Snow growled, her finger wagging under Emma's nose. "And I _**am**_ telling your... wait, did you call me mom?" Snow's eyes filled with tears as she steepled her hands over her mouth. "Of all the times and yet it still sounded so wonderful." Emma smiled as she realized that she had indeed called Snow mom.

"Is she grounded from the television?" Regina asked, her voice filled with laughter. "Or is she grounded from going out with her girlfriend?" She continued innocently.

"Regina, you are too much!" Snow shouted. "Emma get dressed and come on. We're already running late. As it is, I've asked Mr. Gold to take Henry to school. I will deal with... this... later. For now we need to focus on the very real threat of those hobbits."

"Munchkins," Regina and Emma said simultaneously.

"Whatever, you know what the hell I'm talking about. Outside in fifteen, young lady." Snow turned and stomped out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

"She cursed," Emma said in surprise as the chandelier rattled overhead. She eyed it warily; she did NOT feel like being phantomed today. Her eyes met Regina's which were just as wide and surprised.

"I'm not often uncomfortable around Snow but this time I feel it- just a little." Regina turned to head back upstairs to get dressed. "If you ever tell her that I'll... I'll never let you do that thing again."

"Secret is safe with me," Emma quickly assured her. She didn't know which thing Regina was referring to but she didn't want to lose any privileges. She quickly bounded up the stairs to the guest room to perform her ablutions and run her hands through her hair. No matter what she did her lips looked bruised and swollen, she couldn't hide all of her love marks, and she looked freshly fucked. Ah, well.

She met Regina in the hall and nearly fell down the stairs as the brunette came around the corner wet and nude from her shower. Emma groaned and caught herself on the banister, her heard beginning to thud in her ears. It amazed her how weak her lust for Regina made her feel. Regina stepped forward and kissed Emma softly, her hands taking hold of Emma's as the blonde couldn't stop them from wandering.

"I'll meet up with you at the diner." Regina released Emma only to draw closer, her thumb tracing Emma's lips. Her eyes were warm and filled with an emotion that made Emma want to melt right where she was standing.

"I miss you already," Emma breathed, closing her eyes as Regina softly kissed her cheek. They stood still, content to just breathe each other in. Emma turned her head and was moments from kissing Regina when the door flung open and Snow yelled into the house.

"In the car now, Emma!" Regina chuckled as Emma ran her fingertip over one taut nipple.

"Promises, promises," Regina flirted before turning away and walking to her room. Emma gulped as she watched Regina's ass the entire way. Regina turned with a laugh, shaking her head and blowing a kiss before closing the door behind her.

Contrary to what Emma expected, the drive to the diner was very quiet. Snow was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Her jaw repeatedly clenched and unclenched as though she were chewing on her anger. As they pulled in, Snow held up her hand to thwart whatever Emma was going to say.

Emma slid onto a stool beside Belle as Snow went straight to David. He captured Snow in a hug shooting a confused look Emma's way; she shrugged weakly and quickly turned away.

"Hey, Ems, what gives?" Ruby said.

"Apparently I'm grounded," Emma muttered. Belle looked down at the phone in her lap as Ruby gawked before bursting into laughter.

"Oh wow. But hey, um, have you checked your phone this morning?"

"Actually it's dead. I didn't get a chance to charge it last night, although I had a full battery. I don't know why it died so quickly." Belle cleared her throat and excused herself to the restroom. Ruby watched her go, her eyes dancing with barely contained laughter.

"Yeah, about that... is Belle your first contact?" Emma thought the question strange but answered.

"Yeah, I think she is. Why?"

"Because she had quite an interesting message this morning. Apparently someone butt dialed her in the middle of some AHHHH-mazing sex," Ruby said, drawing out the ah in an orgasmic sound. Snow looked over sharply, her eyes haunted and angry.

"Who?" Emma asked leaning forward gleefully. Ruby shook her head.

"You really are blonde aren't you? You, dim-sum." Emma's smile slid from her face. She remembered dropping her phone after Snow's call. It must have gotten pushed and called Belle while they were... just wow. "Her voice mail doesn't cut off until the other party hangs up so she has quite a few listening hours worth."

"She didn't delete it?!" Emma whisper shrieked.

"No, she accidentally forwarded it to me. I don't know how... I don't ask particulars. And no, I'm not deleting it until I listen to it."

"You wouldn't?!" Emma asked, shocked and mortified. Ruby laughed.

"I'm fucking with you. She deleted it but only after she listened to enough to be certain who, what, when, where, why and several of the hows. She feels terrible about listening." Belle came out of the bathroom and Emma carefully avoided looking at her. As the other woman slid onto her stool Ruby slid a hot cocoa over to Emma.

"Sorry, Belle," Emma muttered. "I didn't know..."

"I'm sorry, Emma. If I had known I was listening to a private moment between you and Regina I wouldn't have..."

"Regina?!" Ruby screeched and Belle winced. "You fucking fucked _Regina?_! Do you have a death wish?" Ruby hissed. Emma put her hand over the woman's mouth, stifling the spill of words. As it was, David and Snow were glaring at the three of them and Emma wondered who else down the block, a town over, maybe a state away, had heard. David quickly led Snow to the restrooms and Emma felt a pang of regret, hoping she hadn't hurt her parents too badly.

Regina chose that moment to walk in. Emma's mouth dropped open and she nearly slid off her stool. Regina was dressed in black pants that clung to the shape of her hips and legs, a a black mock turtleneck and over it a long, black leather coat. The end of the leather swept around her calves and as her eyes met Emma's she gave the blonde a sensual smile.

"Holy fuck," Ruby whispered behind Emma's hand. "She's one of those women who look soooo hot when she has that just been fucked look."

"Mine." Emma said finding the only word in her vocabulary at that moment. She realized she still had her hand over Ruby's mouth and quickly dropped it. As she repositioned to rest her elbow nonchalantly on the bar, she misjudged and nearly fell off her stool. Belle caught her and helped her sit back up.

"Ms. Swan, I see balance isn't one of your skills," Regina said as she pulled off black leather gloves. Emma turned on her stool and leaned back against her elbows, catching her boot heels in the stool's rungs and spreading her legs wide. She looked Regina up and down with a possessive smile and felt pleased when she noticed her actions had a visible effect on the other woman.

"I have many skills," Emma purred, distracting herself momentarily by thoughts of Xena. "Why don't you come over here and find out." Regina stepped forward, her eyes locked with Emma's, until she was standing in front of Emma, just between her spread knees. She crossed one arm under her breasts and tapped her lips with the other.

"Is this close enough to call your bluff, Ms. Swan?" she asked, her voice low and husky. Emma smirked at the brunette and shrugged.

"Who's bluffing, Madame Mayor? I think you are well aware of my unique... skill sets."

"Oh my god," Ruby said from behind her. Regina dragged her eyes away from Emma's and raised her eyebrow at Ruby over Emma's shoulder. "Sorry, um, mayor. I'll bring you your usual."

"What exactly is your usual?" Emma asked softly as Regina slid in beside her, turning her body so that her legs stayed on either side of the mayor. Belle discreetly stirred her cocoa and Emma could tell she was trying not to think about the voice mail Emma had left.

"English breakfast tea sweetened with honey." Regina smiled shyly and Emma reached forward to tuck a stray hair behind Regina's ear. "Careful, Ms. Swan, you'll ruin my reputation as a bad ass if you make me melt into a puddle at your feet right here in this diner."

"Is this real?" Emma said wonderingly, her eyes memorizing ever line of Regina's face,her smile. Ruby cleared her throat bringing the two back into reality. Regina chuckled lightly, thanking Ruby for the tea.

As Snow and David returned from the restroom, Regina quickly began talking as Snow opened her mouth angrily upon seeing the mayor sitting so closely to Emma.

"I've been thinking about the Munchkinlanders. I know how to beat them," Regina said. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise. Emma supposed that she and Regina could have stopped to have a few moments of serious conversation last night... nah. "They have always been ruled by queens who had magic as they have none of their own. They cannot stand up to it nor can they combat it, but instead, it seems they revere it. Emma, Gold, and I have magic which is something I don't think they realize. If there is a war, then they will not prevail." Regina's eyes softened at the last as she gazed worriedly into Emma's eyes. Emma could hear Regina's words echo in her head, "_If you fail, then I will fail with you." _Or something like that.

"No magic," Snow hissed surprising everyone with her outburst. "Emma will never be like you!"

"I think Emma is more like me that you think," Regina said with a wink and Emma sighed. She was beginning to realize just how much of a boon sleeping with her was to Regina when it came to ways to get under Snow's skin.

"If you keep antagonizing her I'll tell her," Emma leaned forward and whispered causing Regina to nearly spit out her tea.

"You wouldn't?!" Her voice was shocked as she wiped tea from her shirt and dabbed it from her lips with a napkin. Emma didn't say anything, just continued to look at Regina with as serious of an expression as she could muster.

"Actually it's a good idea," David said slowly. He threw his hands up as Snow turned on him. "Just because Regina said it doesn't mean it's a bad idea. Besides, Emma doesn't have to learn magic, she only has to learn how to control the shoes." He looked up at Regina who nodded.

"Exactly. Emma has the perfect weapon and protective device all in one; she just has to learn how to use them." Gold walked through the door and upon hearing Regina's words he nodded his agreement.

"Henry?" Emma asked him and he smiled at her and Regina, his eyes lingering upon the closeness of their bodies. Emma felt the urge to draw Regina in closer and barely resisted.

"All dropped off at school although he didn't want to go. He sincerely wants to be here for the meeting today."

"Actually, I want to hold off meeting with the munchkins until I have a pretty good grasp on those hideous silver blobs. Snow do you think you can distract them for a bit today?" Snow nodded, immediately pushing aside her anger and planning her strategy. Emma loved that about her mother and hoped that one day she could be as truly good of a person Snow was. Wait, what? Since when did she start thinking the word love in regards to anything? Her thoughts confused her so intensely that she realized she had a finger in the air, her mouth open to say something, and everyone had been looking at her expectantly for several seconds.

Smiling at Regina, Emma walked over to her parents and pulled Snow into a huge hug. She kissed her mother's brow and pulled back to find Snow beaming at her, her eyes filled with hope and shining with love. "Thanks," Emma said. She patted David on the arm before turning back to face the bar. Regina was watching her with a soft expression which completely surprised Emma. "Ok, Regina and I will go train with the shoes while hopefully the rest of you can assist Snow."

"Um...," Belle ducked her hand and held up her hand. "Is that wise?"

"What? You think someone here shouldn't be around the munchkins?" Emma asked in confusion.

"No, um, I was thinking that you and Regina alone might find... other... what I mean is that, it wouldn't hurt to have someone else help you train with the shoes as well." Belle's face was beet red by the time she finished and Ruby was pretending to cough as she tried to hide her laughter. Regina's eyes were wide and looking at Emma.

"Did you take out an advert?" Regina asked, her toe tapping as she crossed her arms over her chest. Emma cleared her throat.

"No, I accidentally left Belle a voice mail..."

"So you could call your friends but not your mother," Snow said behind her, crossing her arms as well and glaring at Emma. Emma felt trapped and shot a panicked look at Ruby.

"No, no," Ruby said helpfully. "Emma accidentally called Belle and left a really long message of... well, what had happened was Emma butt dialed Belle and when Belle checked her messages..."

"Enough!" Snow and Regina said at the same time.

"Gold can you assist?" Belle asked and he nodded, looking around the room and reaching conclusions.

"Of course, dearie. Hopefully, you will accompany us as well?" Belle nodded and accepted his arm. She looked relieved that he was leading her from the diner and she carefully avoided Regina's eyes.

"Ms. Swan," Regina said in a cool voice, "shall we ride together? We need to discuss your cell phone usage." Ruby snorted with laughter as Regina led Emma from the diner.


	11. Chapter 11

_I am scorn in this heavenly scheme  
With a stench of destruction  
I'm a reaper of beautiful dreams  
And she knows  
I'm on the edge  
Sacrilege _

_-Once Upon a Time (Kamelot)_

"I don't know where I put them," Emma muttered, trying not to meet the incredulous looks from Regina and Gold. She had been trying to make the shoes work and had, unfortunately, managed instead to send the shoes... well, she didn't know to where.

"Emma, focus! Bring them back to you," Gold said, his voice sounding thin as he struggled to remain calm. Emma realized everyone was putting so much into helping her and she felt like an ass. She closed her eyes and _wished _for the shoes to be in her hands. She felt something hit each hand and heard Belle gasp and clap her hands. Opening her eyes she was surprised to see she had the shoes. She was even more surprised to see that she was wearing the shoes as gloves. The universe did indeed have a sense of humor.

"Well done, Ms. Swan," Regina said sounding tired and also a little strained.

"Why don't we break for lunch," Belle suggested. Emma checked her watch after removing the offensive shoes and was surprised to find that it was already after noon.

"Excellent idea, Belle," Gold said. "We can meet back here in thirty minutes?" Regina nodded curtly, cutting her eyes to Emma who swallowed at the dark look in the mayor's eyes. Regina turned and walked towards the kitchen and Emma couldn't help but admire the view even as she followed.

"Ms. Swan, are you not going out to get something to eat?" Regina asked, turning from the sink where she was washing an apple. Emma didn't quite know what to say in response so she just stood there. She had been hoping Regina would make her a sandwich or something, but could tell that now was not a good time to say so. "I see you are still incapable of upholding your end of a conversation," Regina said, turning off the faucet.

"I'm sorry I'm not as good at this magic stuff as you and Gold, Regina. I'm trying really hard, you know."

"Are you, Ms. Swan? Because what I see is someone who isn't taking this seriously at all. People are willing to put their lives on the line for you and you can't even take the time to focus and try."

"You sound like Snow," Emma said, rolling her eyes as she leaned on the door frame. She crossed her arms and regarding Regina coolly. "Listen, I am trying, OK? I just have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. No one has ever depended on me for anything before and I'm not used to this whole 'being the saviour' thing."

"Grow up, Ms. Swan," Regina said, abandoning the apple she was cutting and turning angrily to face Emma. "People _do_ depend on you- you simply choose not to acknowledge that fact and you trample over their feelings every single day."

"You'd know a lot about letting people down wouldn't you, Regina."

"No, actually I more than excelled at living up to the expectations people had of me. The only person I've ever treated the way you treat everyone around you is myself, and I can deal with that. This all seems to be a game to you- a mother to Henry when it's convenient, a daughter when it suits you, a friend when you have the time, a sheriff when you're sober enough- it gets old, Ms. Swan."

"A game? I'm not the one who created an entire town of make believe so that people would actually be around me!" Emma saw the look of hurt flash across Regina's face quickly replaced by a look with which she was more familiar, a cold look of contempt.

"We can discuss my shortcomings when we aren't facing a war, Ms. Swan, or are you so selfish that we need to do this _right now _in order to satisfy you enough to do what you need to do?" Emma felt as though she were in the middle of a ship wrecking with no idea how she even got aboard the ship. Regina's words were hitting here in a way that only plainly spoken truth can hit and she felt something inside her twisting and breaking.

The mayor's words circled around and around in her head and Emma needed to feel something besides the crushing guilt and sorrow they spawned inside of her. She covered the distance between herself and Regina, her hands sliding into dark waves as her mouth crashed down upon Regina's full lips. Regina attempted to push her away but as Emma licked and bit her bottom lip for entrance she gave in with a low moan and pulled Emma closer. Emma's hands quickly went to the buttons of Regina's pants and she fumbled them open as her mouth plundered Regina's before Regina caught her hands and stilled them, managing to hold out against the passion Emma felt within her.

"I don't want to be that person anymore," Emma breathed against Regina's mouth, her eyes clenched shut against the tidal wave of emotions. "I'm so tired of being alone when everything I've ever wanted is right in front of me," Emma whispered brokenly before claiming Regina's mouth once more. She felt Regina's body melt into hers as the heat between them skyrocketed with Emma's admission.

Emma licked and sucked Regina's neck roughly as her hands pushed Regina's pants down her hips. Regina's hands were on her shoulders, urging her down. Emma knelt before Regina, her mouth sucking on the mayor's lace clad sex as she jerked the pants down around her ankles. Regina leaned back against the counter as Emma freed one of the mayor's legs and placed it over her shoulder. She tore Regina's silk panties to the side and plunged her tongue between the wet folds, shuddering as Regina moaned loudly above her.

"Yes, oh yes, harder, Emma," Regina groaned and Emma wrapped one arm up around Regina's thigh as she held the brunette against her lips. Emma's use her teeth to hold Regina's clit in her mouth as her tongue flicked down hard against it. As Regina cried out in approval, Emma increased the pressure of her tongue, loving the way Regina bucked against her mouth- back arching as she clung to the counter behind her, her leg over Emma's shoulder pulling Emma tighter to her. As Emma's fingers slid into Regina's slick center she knew Regina wouldn't last long.

"Emma, god yes, fuck me, oh please fuck me harder, yes, mmmm," Regina cried out as she began to tremble. Emma held Regina tightly her her mouth and hands, her own moans lost in Regina's soft, wet folds. Emma could hear Regina's arousal squelching against her hand with each thrust and the sound alone almost sent Emma over the edge. Her mouth filled with the wonderful taste of Regina's orgasm and Emma opened her eyes and watched as Regina hurtled over the edge as she came undone. It was the most beautiful and sexiest thing Emma had ever seen.

Regina begin to lose her grip on the counter and as she slid down, Emma caught her. Still kneeling on the floor, Emma brought Regina down to straddle her lap, loving how Regina pulled Emma close as she gasped and panted, her body still trembling and shuddering through small aftershocks. Emma's fingers were still inside Regina and she slowly curled and uncurled them in a come hither motion. Regina pulled back, her eyes locked with Emma's as she began rocking against Emma's fingers, her hands tangling in Emma's blonde curls.

"You're beautiful," Regina gasped as Emma curled her fingers harder causing her eyes to flutter closed in pleasure.

"Open your eyes," Emma whispered. She craved the connection of looking into Regina's eyes, of looking into the chocolate flecked with honey that were filled with emotions Emma shared and couldn't confess. "Be here with me."

Regina tightened her hands in Emma's hair framing the blonde's face. Her mouth parted as she panted softly, her hips beginning to rock harder but maintaining the same slow pace as Emma's fingers inside of her. Regina's brow crinkled from the intensity of keeping her eyes open as pleasure began to buzz through her like lightning. Emma could hear her own erratic breathing and she increased the pace of her fingers slightly as she felt Regina beginning to tighten and slicken around her.

"Cum for me," Emma said, her voice low and husky, sounding sex drenched even to her own ears. She began to press her palm hard against Regina's clit with each thrust causing Regina's eyes to close before struggling open to watch Emma's own.

"Only for you," Regina gasped out, her body tightening. Emma saw the orgasm sweep across Regina's features as her eyes darkened in pure pleasure. The brunette's back arched and she rocked violently against Emma's hand. Emma took the opening to fuck Regina hard and fast, her palm pressing against Regina's clitoris as her fingers still curled and uncurled inside of her. The sensations seemed to be too much for Regina who screamed her pleasure as her arms locked around Emma's neck pulling her forward as Regina's back arched further.

As Regina begged for Emma to stop as the sensations were too much, Emma pulled her closer as straightened, her finger sliding out of Regina with a wet pop. Regina scooted her hips forward to rest fully against Emma, locking her legs and arms around the sheriff as she trembled against her. Emma realized how very much she loved the sound of Regina panting breathlessly against her.

"That was amazing," Regina murmured.

"More than amazing," Emma agreed between the kisses she was showering against Regina's neck and shoulders. She slid her hands under Regina's shirt and caressed the other woman's back.

The sound of the front door opening had them pulling away from one another with wide eyes. They could hear Belle and Gold talking quietly as they headed towards the kitchen and Emma quickly helped Regina stand.

"Fuck!" Regina whispered and Emma couldn't help but giggle as she watched Regina quickly adjust her panties before stepping into her pants and pulling them up. Emma stood and had just turned to face the door as Belle walked in.

"We brought you a..." Belle's voice trailed off as she took in the scene in front of her. The messy hair. Regina's back to her but she could clearly see the mayor buttoning her pants and adjusting her clothing. Emma's lips and chin were shining in the light. "Oh, I am so... I just..." Belle placed a bag of takeout onto the table and turned to leave, still stammering apologies. She ran into Gold just outside the door and quickly cautioned him to head to the study with her.

"In one day you have completely managed to ruin my reputation," Regina said, turning with her hands on her hips. Emma stood and pulled Regina into a hug, surprised when Regina's arms wound around her neck as she returned the hug.

"Nah, they still think you're the baddest bitch around." Regina smiled against Emma's neck. "Let's eat," Emma said and Regina watched as she poked around in the bag. "Club sandwich... that has to be for you. Oh yeah, burger and fries- that's totally mine."

The afternoon went quickly and Emma found that she was more adept that she thought she was at handling the shoes. She simply had to control and focus her thoughts. They had a few eventful moments due to stray thoughts, but Emma was quickly able to rectify the situation. When Snow called at three to let them know Dewitt was now ready to meet with Emma, Emma felt more a lot more confident in her abilities.

As they filed into Regina's conference room at the town hall, Emma returned Snow's smile, Regina's earlier words echoing in her head. Emma quickly pushed them aside in order to focus on the meeting but she promised herself that she would spend more time with Snow and perhaps even have a conversation about feelings and crap. Her smiled widened as Henry beamed at her from his seat, and as Emma sat down beside him,Regina took the seat on his other side. She felt her heart skip a beat with an emotion she couldn't explain as she realized she and Regina had simultaneously taken his hands and squeezed them.

Dewitt opened his mouth and Emma cut him off before he could speak.

"No." She stood simply, her eyes locked with his. Snow look at her in surprise before turning back to face the munchkin council, her jaw set in fierce determination. Dewitt nodded gravely and stood. Emma was surprised at the small bow he gave her before he and his council filed out.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Emma said thoughtfully, but her next words were interrupted by a loud ripping that sounded just outside the building. The room's occupants quickly rushed across the hall into Regina's office to look out the window, their eyes widening at the sight that greeted them.

It appeared as if a door had been ripped into the very fabric of reality connecting Storybrook to a land so green and lush that Emma felt the movie hadn't even come close. Dewitt stood in front of the hole facing something dark and yellow that appeared to be rushing straight for them. Emma could see that he was holding what looked like a key but before she could think any further the dark spot began to grow form.

"What the actual fuck," Emma breathed.

"Flying monkeys," Henry said wondrously. "But they can only be controlled by the yellow hat. I don't even see anyone here wearing it," he began to look around the gathered munchkins below but couldn't see anything.

"We have to do something before they reach the door... tear... hole... portal," Snow said finally alighting on a word that made sense to her.

"Stay here with Henry and Belle," Emma said to Snow. She nodded to Gold and Regina that she was ready and they returned her nod. She swallowed nervously as she watched them fade from view, willing the shoes to appear on her feet. At first nothing happened and she watched as Regina and Gold turned towards the window to look up at her. She could see the worry etched in their faces and she berated herself for once again letting people down.

"You can do it, Emma," Snow said confidently, her eyes and smile shining with love and complete trust. Emma swallowed thickly before returning the smile. She closed her eyes and wished she were beside Regina and was pleasantly surprised as she found herself exactly where she'd pictured she'd end up.

Gold and Regina had erected a barrier but Emma could see it weakening as the monkeys and a green magic threw themselves against it. Emma remembered the key she had seen in Dewitt's hand and she concentrated on wishing the key in her own hand. She was amazed to feel the key in her hand, however she was unprepared for the munchkin that came still attached to it. He regarded her angrily and in the moments it took for Emma's surprise to register, he lashed out with the knife hidden in his hand, the blade cutting through her jacket and slicing into the flesh beneath. Emma bit her lip to keep from crying out and she saw his eyes widen in surprise at her lack of reaction. He quickly stabbed her twice more before she could bring her hand up to block him.

As Emma felt her life's blood pouring out of her wounds she felt a surge of power run through the shoes and into her body. She released her inhibitions, her thoughts, her carefully constructed mask and she let her feelings and will take control. With a thought she blew Dewitt back through the portal, the contact with the barrier and the unrelenting pressure from her magic and the barrier crushing him beneath it. His face twisted in agony before the pressure caused him to explode. As gore rained down upon the munchkins and people assembled in front of the portal, Emma stepped forward and raised her hand that held the key.

The door opened wider as Emma's power surged through the key, and Emma's gaze fell upon the munchkins who raised their weapons and began to charge her. She saw the stones beneath her glisten red with rivulets of her blood and with a cry she spread her arms as wide as she could and imagined herself throwing the munchkin army against the barrier now strained to fit the widened door. She could hear Regina calling her name, desperation lacing the woman's words, and, just as the barrier broke, Emma lashed out at the doorway with her power, throwing the munchkins into the army of flying monkeys. As the blue suited figures hit, she imagined them bursting, their bones ripping through the other army like shrapnel. As the violence she had wrought burst on the other side, Emma stepped to the door and placed the key in the lock, quickly turning it. The door sealed with an explosion of air that pushed Emma's hair back and covered her in blood and bits of gore.

The streets were deathly quiet save for the ragged breathing of the people gathered in front of the hall. Emma felt as though she were drunk and she turned, holding the key out to Regina who began to run towards her, crying out her name in shock, horror, and concern.

"What did you do?" Emma heard Snow cry from the steps of the town hall. Emma crumpled forward landing in a pool of her own blood. She reached her hand towards Regina who dropped beside her, her face streaked with tears and blood as she cried out Emma's name. The fight was a moment that had lasted only minutes but, as Emma lost consciousness, she was certain that it was a moment that stripped her away and laid her bare to the people around her.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I apologize for the lack of update. I am in finance and the beginning of the year is hectic to say the least. Also, had an unfortunate, tragic death in my immediate family so please understand if my sadness bleeds into my writing.**

_You can tell them that  
I've been through hell and back  
When the heat is on  
I fire back  
In this cold world  
Where your lighters at  
Just burn it down  
Fire back _

_-Hell & Back (Kid Ink)_

Darkness billows so profoundly it seems to suck in the corners of reality until everything begins to fold in upon itself. Silence reigns in the black, the absolute stillness louder than any scream. Eternity is endless, opening into a claustrophobic nothing that condenses and coils, spilling and filling the void that stretches into itself infinitely. Nothing exists, nothing watches, nothing listens, nothing intervenes.

_Where did I go?..._was Emma's first thought as her mind staggered towards consciousness. She could hear people around her, their voices muffled by the buzzing in her head. She clung to the darkness not wanting to leave it behind while the voices pulled her towards the sounds around. Emma felt a sense of loss as she was wrenched back into reality, her link to the infinitesimal void muted and shadowed by the vibrancy of the world around her.

"No," Emma whispered causing the arguments around her to die down in stunned silence.

"Emma!" Snow said frantically, her hands grabbing Emma's and clinging. Emma opened her eyes to see Snow and David looming over her while her head was cradled firmly in Regina's lap. "We thought we'd lost you."

Emma pushed away from the people around her as she struggled to a sitting position. Her shirt clung to her and she was surprised at how thick and heavy her blood felt. She peeled the shirt away from her and it made a wet suctioning noise. She winced and nearly passed out as dizziness overtook her and was thankful for the hands behind her steadying her.

"I'm fine," Emma said, her voice monotone and unfeeling even to her own ears. "Please, I just want to get up."

"I think you should lie still for-" Snow began but Emma vehemently interrupted her.

"I want to stand. NOW." Snow rocked back in surprise but she and David quickly grabbed Emma's arms and helped her to her feet. Emma was thankful for her father's arms around her and she nearly toppled back over.

"I've got you," he murmured against her hair. She was surprised to see the shine of tears in his eyes. She turned her head and her eyes fell upon Regina who was still kneeling where Emma's outline was carefully marked in her own blood. Regina looked up into Emma's eyes and Emma was taken aback at the sadness and hurt she saw in the mayor's eyes.

"You fought so hard against coming back," Regina said shakily, her unshed tears sounding in her voice. Emma could see the brunette fighting for control of her emotions and watched as the mayor lost. Emma knew Regina would never forgive her for being the cause of her losing control where others could see. "You _wanted_ to die," she whispered brokenly as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Regina! How dare you say that? Haven't you influenced Emma enough?!" Snow asked angrily, her eyes filled with hatred.

"I tried so hard but you fought my magic. I almost couldn't save you- do you know that would have destroyed Henry? It would have destroyed me," Regina's tears were streaking through the blood on her cheeks, her words and breaths beginning to come in heaving sobs as she leaned over with her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. "You chose to leave me."

Emma looked at the faces of the people around her and watched as they carefully avoided her eyes. She could feel the weight of their unspoken questions.

"I was prepared to die, yes," Emma said tiredly, her voice breathier than she would have liked.

"No!" Regina lunged to her feet, her hands fisted at her sides as she faced Emma. "You fucking CHOSE to die!"

"How dare you!" Snow said, the sound of her hand slapping Regina spilling into the shocked street. Regina turned to look at Snow, rage and sadness warring on her features. Henry chose that moment to step forward and slip his hand into Regina's.

"Mom?" he asked quietly and she immediately looked down into his upturned face. "Can I come home with you?" Emma watched the scene unfold, willing herself to feel something, to find a way to answer the questions.

"Henry?" Emma said, her eyes seeking out his. She was surprised at the anger she saw reflected in his beautiful hazel eyes.

"You had the shoes, Emma. You only had to think it and you would have healed yourself. Mom's right, you wanted to leave us. You decided that you didn't need your courage to face anything else, you didn't need someone talking it over with you, and what you decided was heartless." He turned and tugged on Regina's hand pulling her away with him. Neither looked over their shoulders as they walked away and Emma finally got her wish- she began to feel the emptiness of their leaving.

Emma was in a daze as David and Snow took her home. She vaguely remembered Granny cautioning her parents that she needed a lot of red meat, cooked as rare as she could stand it to help her replenish the iron in her blood. Leroy and his crew had brought round the town's firetruck and were washing the sidewalk; Emma watched her blood pool then slide into the gutters in rivers of crimson and streams of pink.

"Emma? You have to eat and drink. Your body has experienced a trauma and you need to help it heal." As Snow set a plate of food in front of her, Emma touched her stomach and chest. She could feel the scar tissue under her now clean shirt. Snow had stripped her when they got home and gently bathed her- all of which Emma had accepted silently.

"Regina's right," Emma said tiredly. "I gave up." Snow and David looked at her and then David quickly looked away but not before Emma saw the tremors in his cheek. "I thought, I could just let go and save us all future pain. I thought that I didn't really exist here in this life and that I was just so tired of everything that I could let go and things might be hurtful for awhile but-"

"Might be hurtful?" Snow asked incredulously causing Emma's eyes to lift to hers. "Might? What world do you live in, Emma, that you don't see how much people love you? Might be hurtful? If you had died it would have destroyed us. Why didn't you come talk to us? Why did you hide this away where no one could see it?"

"Why didn't we see it," David said quietly, his voice thick with emotion.

"Listen, I didn't want to... let go. I felt Regina's reaching for me and I reached back. And I can tell you right now, this conversation is over. We've all made decisions that for a moment felt right but were completely selfish. I'm not going to allow mine to be paraded in front of me at will."

As Emma ate, the table lapsed into silence. David slowly stood and walked to his room, his shoulders slouched under the weight of the afternoon. Snow continued to sit with her and finally Emma asked her what was on her mind.

"The violence, Emma," Snow began.

"We were at war," Emma said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "When Dew... when I was stabbed, I knew it was us or them and I chose us. I sent a message that we aren't to be fucked with."

"Regina said fucking," Snow said unexpectedly and Emma looked at her in surprise. Snow shrugged. "I've just never, as long as I've known her, heard her curse like that. Sure, she's told me to go to hell once or twice, but she's never been crude."

"I'm not following," Emma said as she tried to bring her mind around the turn in the conversation.

"I was just making an observation. When you feel up to it, you know you need to go see Henry and talk things through."

"Honestly I didn't even think to use the shoes to heal myself," Emma said earnestly, her eyes imploring Snow's.

"I believe you," Snow said softly, "and that's what worries me."

Emma found herself standing in front of Regina's door later that night. She could just make out the soft glow of Regina's lamp. As she lifted her arm to knock, her eyebrows raised in surprise at the tug of the new scar tissue stretched across her stomach. Regina opened the door just as Emma lifted the hem of her shirt to look at her stomach. She quickly dropped it, her face turning pink.

"Ms. Swan," Regina said her voice tired.

"Regina, can we talk?"

"I just spent the evening holding our son while he cried." Emma winced and looked away. Regina lay her head against the door, her eyes closing as she hid her own emotions from Emma's view. "I don't really feel like talking at the moment."

"Please, I... please let me try," Emma said quietly. After long moments Regina stepped back and held the door open. She turned her head to avoid eye contact as Emma stepped into the foyer.

"OK, first of all, it didn't even occur to me to heal myself. Really, I'm not that logical at the best of times much less... you know, stabbed and fighting." She was surprised when Regina chuckled behind her.

"I did say almost that exact same thing earlier tonight to Henry," Regina said with a smile. She led Emma towards the study where Emma was grateful to sit down. When Regina handed her a glass of water Emma started to protest. "Water is what you need, Ms. Swan, and I won't argue the point with you." Emma grumbled but after dealing with the mayor as long as she had she knew the tone well.

"Fine, drink your fancy wine and give me h2o. I happen to actually _like_ water."

"I have never seen you drink water in all the time I've known you," Regina said, one eyebrow raised.

"I drink it all the time! It's one of the main ingredients of cocoa." Emma smirked as Regina's jaw dropped. She was feeling more relaxed as the other woman began to smile. However, the moment didn't last long.

"Why?" Regina asked quietly, fiddling with her wine glass and avoiding Emma's eyes.

"Because." Regina looked up, a small smile curling the corner of her mouth.

"You'll need to do better than that, Ms. Swan."

"It's hard to just forget twenty eight years of thoughts and feelings. But I did come back. And you, you're a big part of that," Emma cleared her throat and drank her water, carefully avoiding looking at Regina. "I did come back," Emma emphasized quietly, hoping the significance of her words conveyed everything she couldn't and wouldn't say.

"Come to bed," Regina said, but at Emma's smile, she held up an admonishing finger. "To sleep. That's the best thing for you." Her eyes raked over Emma as though truly looking at her for the first time since Emma had arrived. Emma watched as she fell apart and was helpless to stop it. "You lost a lot of blood," Regina was crying as she said the word blood. Emma watched in guilty horror as Regina's knees buckled and she sobbed as she slid to the floor. Emma hurried over and wrapped her arms around the mayor. "You died, Emma, and I almost couldn't reach you to bring you back."

"Shh, darling, I'm right here. I couldn't leave you, you're my heart. Please, Regina, don't cry." Emma soothed the brunette as she stroked her hair and arms. She was surprised to feel a pair of small arms wrap around her and quickly open her arms to embrace Henry. She let herself feel her family crying in her arms, feel the extent of the emotions that played through them and shot through her. "I'm sorry. I finally have a family," Emma whispered, "and I wouldn't give that up for the world."


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N Not my characters, not my songs.**_

Emma woke up and realized instantly that she wasn't in her bed. She cracked one eye opened and peeked around. Her eyes flew open as she realized she was lying in the woods and someone was staring at her. Emma rolled over into a crouch and winced as her roll took her over several pointy sticks and rocks. She tried to blink the sleep out of her eyes as quickly as she could but she still wasn't able to focus on the person sitting in front of her because the sun blinded her every time she glanced that way. Emma held up her hand as she tried to slow her breath.

"Emma, calm down before you hurt yourself." She recognized the witch's voice and felt herself do a literal double-take.

"I thought you were going to leave me alone?"

"Well good morning to you too. I'm not bothering you or interfering with you," the witch answered huffily. "I just wanted someone to talk to."

"Huh?" Emma internally congratulated herself on her perfect answer.

"I've spent some time in this world since our last meeting and I am quite fascinated by the people here. I don't know if anyone in Storybrooke has told you this but you people here in this world are crazy."

"For sure."

"Fo shizzle."

"Ok, that's awkward. Where did you go? The streets of Detroit?" She watched incredulously as Elphaba summoned a handful of cotton candy and stuffed it into her mouth. "And congratulations, now you know why so much of our world is overweight."

"Stuff's delicious," Elphaba murmured around a mouth of sugary goodness.

"Yeah? Well you should try cotton candy vodka. Oh! Or better yet, wedding cake vodka!" Emma nodded emphatically as Elphaba looked at her in shock.

"Well summon the stuff up and let's try it!"

"It's like eight o'clock in the morning. I'm not 'summoning' up vodka. At least wait until ten o'clock, geesh."

"It's almost seven o'clock," Elphaba said offhandedly and Emma groaned.

"That's rude. I know you've been here long enough to know that. It's also rude to make me get sticks and straw in my hair, especially before breakfast." Elphaba finished off her cotton candy and loudly sucked the sugar her fingertips. She peered at Emma and then nodded as though her mind were made up. Emma had barely opened her mouth to protest whatever was coming when Elphaba snapped her fingers and the woods fell away from her in a blur of color.

Emma landed with a loud whump!, hitting a stool and bouncing off of it to land in the floor. She groaned as she grabbed the bar and pulled herself up. Elphaba watched her, her own bottom having landed perfectly on the stool.

"Gotta watch the landing," she intoned, "it can be a bitch sometimes."

"Yeah, well so can you," Emma muttered as she slid onto her stool. She turned and came face to face with Ruby who was staring at her in open mouthed shock. The brunette quickly snapped her mouth closed and shook her head.

"What?" Emma asked.

"I was going to ask in what reality is what you're wearing ok to wear out in public but then I saw the sticks and straw in your hair and the dirt on your cheek and realized I didn't need to know." Emma's eyes widened with each word out of Ruby's mouth. She looked down and realized that she was only dressed only in a white wife beater and a pair of pink boy shorts.

"Elphaba!" She nearly shrieked. "You couldn't dress me?!" Her voice sounded strangled and shocked even to her own ears as she vainly tried to pull her wife beater down more. Elphaba looked at her as though she were being ridiculous before snapping her fingers and dressing Emma in a pair of baggy jeans. "A bra maybe?" Emma whispered fiercely and Elphaba shook her head.

"I wouldn't want to _interfere _and therefore I am doing only what protects your modesty." Emma sighed and hooked her bare feet around the stool's legs. She tried to inconspicuously dig the twigs out of her hair but realized that she was just causing her hair to stick up more than it was already.

Ruby could barely suppress her giggles as Emma and Elphaba ordered. Elphaba regarded Ruby with a curious expression as the brunette walked away.

"That's why I like wolves. They don't ask questions, keep to themselves as long as you keep to yourself. She didn't feel the need to bombard me with questions; she trusted her instincts. You know, people would be happier if they could learn to do that."

"Some people would be happy not being ripped out of bed and waking up in the woods. Speaking of which, why did you kidnap me?"

"I just wanted to spend some time with someone who I know so much about. I know you know pieces about me and I feel like after our discussion-"

"-interrogation-"

"-discussion that I knew you. Do you sing?"

"Oh my god please tell me you aren't one of the Oz singers. I legit wouldn't be able to handle it."

"That's so odd you feel that way. In my time here I've noticed that your world moves to a rhythm that you people actually express. There's music everywhere, in each culture, in every thing you do. How can someone who even speaks in the cadences of your country's specific music say that?"

"I'm not a fan, ok? I mean, I like music sometimes. I like dancing- sometimes."

"So when you think of my world, what?"

"It honestly gives me the shivers thinking of a world where people burst into song just because, what, the music overtakes them and they can't help themselves?" Elphaba looked at Emma for long moments before nodding her head slowly. She snapped her fingers and Emma knew something had just happened even though she couldn't immediately identify it.

"Dear god, what did you do? I thought you weren't supposed to interfere?!"

"I'm not interfering! I actually used one of Glenda's spells after consulting her. You can thank her for what's going to happen."

"You mean I can thank YOU." Emma looked around in a panic but no one appeared to be bursting into song. She thought perhaps Elphaba was just fucking with her when the door opened and Snow and David walked in. Emma could hear the swelling of music and her eyes opened in horror as music began to sound all around her. "What the actual fuck?"

"Think of it as... theme songs. You'll hear the theme songs of the people around you and you will until you can find your own."

"Please, oh god, ask me questions, torture me, pluck out my eyes! But please don't do this!"

"What do you hear around your parents?" Elphaba asked in fascination. "I am going to tune in as well. There, we will be in it together." She snapped her fingers and her eyes opened in fascination.

Emma dropped her head on her arms as her parent's music surrounded her. She groaned as "Let's make love" swirled around her in an unpleasant duet. She was surprised though as another song intruded and she looked up quickly. Elphaba nodded thoughtfully.

"Some people are so strong and fit there theme so well that they will overpower the other songs you hear. It seems like this one isn't powerful enough to drown out your parents but it is strong enough to stand by itself."

Emma looked around as Elphaba spoke and her eyes landed on Ruby. It amazed her to see how the other girl appeared to move in time to the theme music only Emma and Elphaba could hear.

_If you could only see the beast you've made of me  
I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free  
Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart  
Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart_

Emma was fascinated. She'd never really thought of Ruby in this way and it was odd to think of her friend as something dark and powerful, a sensual beast running through the nights when the moon was full. Emma wished she could run her fingers through her friend's fur and wondered if that was an acceptable request or if it implied something else. She closed her eyes and listened to Ruby talk to the people in the diner, her song underlying her words.

_My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in  
You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to howl  
My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in  
You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to _

_Howl, howl  
Howl, howl_

"Wow," Emma said and Elphaba nodded in agreement. "It almost feels like it's private, though," Emma said, her eyes glued to the gracefulness of Ruby's movements. How had she ever missed the thinly veiled strength and predatorial look? Emma shivered as Ruby's eyes landed on her; she couldn't help but feel relieved as Ruby's music began to fade.

"This should be interesting," Elphaba said and Emma turned to see what the witch was talking about. She groaned as her mother approached.

"I thought you were going to leave Emma alone?"

"I am. I just woke her up to come have breakfast with me." Emma's mouth dropped open as Snow's song burst across the room.

_Cause I am a Superwoman  
Yes I am, yes she is  
Still when I'm a mess, I still put on a vest  
With a S on my chest  
Oh yes, I'm a Superwoman_

"Wow," Emma said, "you are badass." Snow immediately reached out a hand to feel Emma's forehead for fever. "I'm fine, I swear. It's just your theme song is so awesome!"

"What?" Snow said, her eyes immediately going to Elphaba and narrowing accusatorially. Elphaba smiled weakly and cleared her throat. Emma almost felt sympathy for her, but then she was the one stuck listening to people's theme songs all day. Emma knew they weren't all going to be epic. She looked at David and narrowed her eyes focusing on his song. She screeched and tried to block it, but unfortunately the words kept coming.

_When I need somethin' to help me unwind  
I find a six foot baby with a one track mind  
Smart guys are nowhere, they make demands  
Give me a moron with talented hands  
I go bar-hopping and they say last call  
I start shopping for a Neanderthal _

"Mom, you have to work on David some more, I'm serious," Emma's voice was strained as she shoved the music and words back from whence they came. Elphaba was looking at David, her own mouth having dropped open in a delighted sort of shock. Emma elbowed her.

"He's a work in progress." As Snow turned to leave her eyes fell on Emma's bare feet. "Where are your shoes, Emma?!"

"Ask her witchiness here. When she stole me from bed she didn't think to dress me."

"Yeah, Emma showed up this morning out of thin air- literally b t dubs- and only had on her tank top and some cute boy short panties."

"We are going to discuss your friends later," Snow said tightly, her eyes narrowed. Elphaba smiled toothily and pointed to Emma's pants.

"I got her pants."

As Snow and Elphaba continued to talk back and forth, Snow's tone angry and motherly, Elphaba's amused, Emma tuned them out. She could hear a tune, a beat that began to burn within her. She knew the rhythm was Regina's just from the way the music pulsed through herself and seemed to vibrate in her core. She turned and watched the door, not disappointed to see her dark haired lover climbing out of her car and turned towards the diner.

"I feel her," Emma murmured, her eyes so tuned on Regina that she missed the secret smile playing around Elphaba's lips. As Regina entered the diner her eyes widened slightly in surprise as Elphaba waved happily. Emma knew she looked like a cave woman and therefore didn't bother to close her mouth from where it had dropped open in surprise.

Regina's song was swirling all around her and through her, the pulse and rhythm getting louder every time the mayor's eyes landed on Emma. Emma felt as though the words were something she shouldn't hear, but she couldn't not listen as they licked against her ears and poured themselves into her soul.

"It's perfect," Emma murmured, her eyes locked with Regina's as she listened to her lover's song.

_I knew you were  
You were gonna come to me  
And here you are  
But you better choose carefully  
'Cause I'm capable of anything  
Of anything and everything_

Make me your Aphrodite  
Make me your one and only  
Don't make me your enemy, your enemy, your enemy

So you wanna play with magic  
Boy, you should know whatcha falling for  
Baby do you dare to do this  
Cause I'm coming atcha like a dark horse  
Are you ready for, ready for  
A perfect storm, perfect storm  
Cause once you're mine, once you're mine  
There's no going back

Mark my words  
This love will make you levitate  
Like a bird  
Like a bird without a cage

_But down to earth  
If you choose to walk away, don't walk away_

"I've never listened to a song that suited someone so perfectly," Elphaba murmured for Emma's ears alone. "It takes more willpower and courage than most people have to truly know themselves. I wonder what her song was before she met you?"

"I... I..."

"Ms. Swan, I sincerely hope the sheriff of our town isn't going to start her shift looking as though she just arrived from the stone ages."

"I'm ready," Emma blurted out and then felt herself blush from the roots of her hair down her neck.

"Um, no, sheriff, I beg to differ. You need to go home, shower, change, brush your hair- good lord, is that a _stick?- _and put on shoes."

"Emma most likely won't make it to work today," Elphaba said smugly. "Glenda decided that she needed to learn a lesson."

"What?" Regina asked angrily and protectively stepped towards Emma. Emma bit her lip to keep from pulling Regina into her arms as the music pulsed louder around them.

__

It's in the palm of your hand now baby  
It's a yes or no, no maybe  
So just be sure before you give it up to me  
Up to me, give it up to me  


"It won't hurt her," Elphaba said while Regina eyed Emma skeptically.

"What is it," Regina asked quietly as Emma closed her eyes and tuned out the conversation around her. She needed to feel the words as they vibrated inside of her. She had never felt music like this, and while she could understand _this _she still couldn't understand the need for people to go around singing all the time. She cracked an eye open to check and make certain Elphaba hadn't heard her wayward thought. She discovered Regina looking at her thoughtfully.

"What's mine?" Ruby asked suddenly and Emma nearly fell off her stool. She hadn't realized the girl could hear everything Elphaba was telling Regina. She wondered just how good Ruby's ears were and how much she overheard.

"Howl, by Florence and the Machine."

"That's fucking awesome!" Ruby said with a fist pump. "I just don't understand how it works."

"It's the way Emma interprets the song she feels coming from people. That was the closest song representation that she knew that equated to how your music represented itself to her."

Emma looked into Regina's eyes hearing the last refrain fade away.

_So you wanna play with magic  
Boy, you should know whatcha falling for  
Baby do you dare to do this  
Cause I'm coming atcha like a dark horse  
Are you ready for, ready for  
A perfect storm, perfect storm  
Cause once you're mine, once you're mine  
There's no going back_

"So, um, what's Regina's?" Ruby asked.

"Dark Horse," Emma answered and Ruby nodded.

"Respect," she said and flashed Regina a smile.

"How long does it last?" Regina asked, her eyes narrowed. Emma knew Regina well enough to know that she was trying to recall the lyrics to the song.

"Until I figure out my own theme song apparently." Emma sighed. "The problem is I don't particularly like music and figuring out my own song is going to be next to impossible. I've never burst out into song because a particular feeling has overtaken me. I mean, sometimes I sing in the shower-"

"You can't really call that singing," Snow interjected and Emma nodded in resignation. The truth is the truth after all.

"Oh my god, what if Belle's songs are like from the movie?! We have to find her!" Emma jumped off her stool but before she could go any further Elphaba snapped and Belle appeared in front of them midstep. She ran into Regina who grumbled as she helped the other woman right herself.

"Thank goodness I was dressed," Belle said as she smoothed her dress and eyed Emma's state of dishabille.

"Yeah, I woke up in the woods," Emma said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder to Elphaba. Belle nodded as though these things happened every day.

"Anything?" Ruby said excitedly and Emma scrunched up her face as she concentrated on Belle.

_She's my cherry pie  
Cool drink of water such a sweet surprise  
Tastes so good make a grown man cry  
Sweet cherry pie, oh yeah_

Emma quickly tuned Belle out while she stared at her. Ruby poked her repeatedly until she turned to look at her.

"Was it the movie song?"

"Definitely not," Emma said before clearing her throat. Regina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"What?" Belle asked and Emma strove not to hear more of her song. She almost succeeded but the song did manage to leak some whenever Belle spoke.

"Emma can hear our theme songs!" Ruby said excitedly.

"Wow, that's amazing! I take it that's where you come in?" Belle asked Elphaba who was watching her almost lecherously, obviously not tuning out the song. Belle shifted further away from her and was about to say something as Gold burst in, his worried eyes closing in relief as they found Belle.

"What happened? You disapp-" his eyes landed on Elphaba and he growled as he held his cane in front of him. "I thought you weren't going to interfere!"

"Oh, I'm not interfering. That was technically all Emma's doing?" Emma tried to hold onto the conversation but Gold's song was just too good. She leaned forward and listened closer, giggling a little at the words.

_Take it slow, put it down on me  
I said jump on it  
Ride like a pony  
Lights down low, time to get naughty  
Lights down low, time to get naughty_

"Well now I know why that relationship works so well," Emma muttered. She stood and made her way to the door, trying to walk as regally as she could being barefoot with sticks in her hair. As she reached the doorway she turned, nose in the air and sniffed disdainfully.

"Coming Elphaba?"

"Yes, dear, but I see your point. I mean I really see your point."

"What point?"

"I really should have gotten you a bra." Emma didn't even bother looking down. Her eyes landed on Regina's and the lust filling the mayor's eyes told her everything she needed to know. She swallowed her pride and fled off into the morning, heading straight for house.

"I could have given her a ride," Gold said and everyone looked at Elphaba strangely as she burst into guffaws.

_tbc_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: I apologize for the delayed posting. As Atlanta is undergoing an ice storm and I still have power, I find I have free time to write- not to mention my muse came back full throttle yesterday. One thing I can assure you who follow and read me is that I will never post a story that is sub par in my thoughts and fantasies. Again, thank you for reading, reviewing, and following.**_

Emma brushed her hair from her eyes and groaned as she finally sat back in her seat. Her day had been filled with calls and... singing. Everywhere she turned she could hear music and it was by sheer willpower that at times she was able to tune it out. However, she had been caught by the cutes when she realized that the adorable kitten she rescued from a tree was surrounded by an adorable melody. As the kitten toddled away from her with his tail in the air she could see that he moved in time to his kitten song.

"So, any headway?" a voice asked directly behind her and Emma jumped, her heart flying into her throat.

"Elphaba!" she gasped weakly as her heart pounded. "You scared the beejebus out of me. And no, no music. Maybe I don't have a theme song?" Emma wondered aloud. Something nibbled at the back of her mind and her eyes widened as she turned towards Elphaba. "Hey! You don't have music!" Elphaba laughed, the sound almost mocking.

"Yes, I do. You just can't hear it because you don't think of me as a real person. Come on, let's go for a walk and see what we can get into."

"I don't like the sound of that. What do you mean I don't see you as a real person?" Elphaba shook her head and shooed Emma towards the door. Emma grumbled as she dragged herself out into the street. She could feel the beginnings of a headache, but as she watched Hook round the corner a smile replaced her scowl. "This one should be good," Emma muttered and Elphaba agreed by clapping her hands together excitedly.

Emma clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle her giggles as the music began to reach her ears. Hook was definitely a charmer and it didn't surprise her at all what his music was as he smiled and waved to the townsfolk.

_Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,  
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.  
Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around  
Since I was born.  
And now it's all right. It's OK.  
And you may look the other way.  
We can try to understand  
The New York Times' effect on man. _

"That is so freaking perfect!" Emma said as Hook smiled lecherously at a woman whose boyfriend quickly pulled her away from the charming pirate. Emma knew that if she were even remotely straight she would have claimed the pirate as her own by now, but alas his charm, wit, and sexual appeal was lost on her. Mostly. As his eyes landed on her, his smile faltered before softening into something warmer and richer. As it did, the music around him swirled and coalesced into a different song that had Emma's mouth fall open as gentler notes hit the streets between them.

_I have a smile  
stretched from ear to ear  
to see you walking down the road  
we meet at the lights  
I stare for a while  
the world around us disappears  
_

_just you and me  
on my island of hope  
a breath between us could be miles  
let me surround you  
my sea to your shore  
let me be the calm you seek_

oh and every time I'm close to you  
there's too much I can't say  
and you just walk away

and I forgot to tell you I love you  
and the night's too long  
and cold here without you  
I grieve in my condition  
for I cannot find the words to say I need you so 

"It changed," Emma murmured as she turned around to face Elphaba. Her voice sounded almost panicked and she grabbed the witch's dress to steady herself. "He looked at me and it changed!" The music still filled the streets and Emma felt as though her heart would break beneath the haunting melody. She thought... she thought they just flirted, that it was fun and casual. What lay beneath the pirate's smile could fill an ocean and then spill over. She could feel the music wither as it felt no answering call from her. Emma peeked a look as Hook walked by, his hand waving jauntily, his mouth wide in a small- but she could feel the truth that took the joy from his stride and filled his eyes with concealed pain.

"Of course it did, Emma. Music changes and flows because people change and flow."

"Wh-what?" Emma looked around and she couldn't stop the near sob that flew into her throat as Neil began to head down the street towards her. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to know. "Please, please Elphaba. Can we please leave here?" Elphaba looked at her in surprise before crooking her arm around Emma and looking upwards. A furious wind blew through the street and only fallen leaves swirled where she and Elphaba had just stood.

Emma rested her head against Elphaba, forcibly shutting out the thoughts that crowded her mind. She swallowed past the lump in her throat as her hands fisted into Elphaba's shirt. The witch stood still and silent as though understanding that Emma couldn't bear to hear, see, or _feel_ anything. Emma felt a vibration run between her and Elphaba and she reached out with her new skill and found the music waiting for her. She was surprised at the beat and tone of the music that was pure Elphaba. She reached beneath the music and found the words as Elphaba's hands slowly slid to Emma's sides and held her close.

_This is how I show my love  
I made it in my mind because  
I blame it on my A.D.D. baby  
This is how an angel dies  
I blame it on my own supply  
Blame it on my A.D.D. baby_

Sail!

Emma's hands slowly unfisted the witch's shirt and circled around her back. Her breath was catching in her throat as she listened to the words begin moving within her. She could feel the need within Elphaba like a palpable desire waiting for her to reach out and touch it, to take it. Emma gasped as the words seemed to burn within her, stirring a cry of familiarity.

_Maybe I should cry for help  
Maybe I should kill myself (myself)  
Blame it on my A.D.D. baby  
Maybe I'm a different breed  
Maybe I'm not listening  
So blame it on my A.D.D. baby_

Sail!  


Emma sighed as Elphaba's hands slipped down to hold her closer, pressing her into the older woman as they slowly swayed to the music linking them. Elphaba groaned as Emma's lifted her head, her lips finding the witch's pulse point. "Emma," she breathed, as they continued to move together, their bodies beginning to burn. Emma was vaguely aware that she had lost control of her emotions and impulses as though she were under a spell. A part of her was screaming for release and a part of her was screaming for a different release. She lifted her head and looked deeply into Elphaba's eyes. She wasn't surprised to see that the witch's glamour had dropped and she was as beautiful as moonlight filtering through clear water.

_Sail with me into the dark  
Sail!  
Sail with me into the dark  
Sail!  
Sail with me into the dark  
Sail!  
Sail with me  
Sail! _

"Why?" Emma asked as the music continued to swirl through them. She watched as the glamour continued to lift and Emma was able to see the beautiful, raven black hair and greenish skin the witch worked so hard to obscure.

"Your magic calls to mine," Elphaba said, her voice strained and husky. "It strips me of illusions because you have heard my song."

"Is that what this connection is?" Emma asked wondrously. "Our magic?"

"It is as though we are under a drug, yes," Elphaba said. Emma felt the woman mentally struggling to pull away from her and she knew she should let go but this connection was hard to break. "It doesn't help that your song is as dark and lonely as mine," Elphaba said wistfully as she lifted her hands from Emma's thighs. As the night air slipped between the two women, the music slipped away, the notes muffled and hidden.

"You can hear mine?" Emma asked quietly and Elphaba nodded, all pretense and denials disappearing. "Why can't I?" Emma asked, closing her eyes to stop her emotions from shining. Elphaba closed the newly created distance between them and instantly Emma was surrounded by the woman's song. She gasped as her skin felt as though it were instantly warmed by a thousand suns.

"Because you refuse to look at yourself," Elphaba murmured. "We are defined by moments. Each moment adds to a picture of ourselves, and, Emma, you refuse to look at your self portrait."

"I am afraid to look at it," Emma whispered. "I know what has defined me." Elphaba laughed quietly in the twilight descending around them.

"The man whose music changed as you looked at him... what defined him from moment to moment? People change constantly because one moment, one thing, one circumstance doesn't define them. Emma, you don't have to be defined by one thing no matter how fresh, how deeply it affected you, how much it hurt or scarred you."

"Regina's song never changed," Emma whispered. She had run into the mayor several times today and it was always the same song each time Emma was near.

"Regina has found what defines her in the biggest way and her song reflects her heart, her thoughts, the very core of who she is. She is very unique," Elphaba said with a smile. "Pure in a way very few people are. Rarely when people are broken do they put themselves back together with a clear understanding of exactly who they are."

Emma closed her eyes and focused her thoughts inward at Elphaba's words. Would she want to hear the song that represented who she was?

"Don't fear your song, Emma. Don't fear yourself. Look who you are in the eye." The words called up music and Emma felt as though she would pass out as she panted for breath. She collapsed to her knees as the words washed over her. The moon broke from behind a cloud and she felt as though the night held her in a spotlight as she finally heard her song.

_Left in the darkness  
Here on your own  
Woke up a memory  
Feeding the pain  
You cannot deny it  
There's nothing to say  
It's all that you need to fire away_

Oh damn, the war is coming  
Oh damn, you feel you want it  
Oh damn, just bring it on today

You can't live without the fire  
It's the heat that makes you strong  
'Cause you're born to live and fight it all away  
You can't hide what lies inside you  
It's the only thing you've known  
You'll embrace it and never walk away  
Don't walk away

Don't walk away  
Don't walk away  
Don't walk away

Raised in this madness  
You're on your own  
It makes you fearless  
Nothing to lose  
Dreams are a joke here  
They get in your way  
That's what what you need to fight day by day.

Oh damn, the war is coming  
Oh damn, you feel you want it  
Oh damn, just bring it on today

You can't live without the fire  
It's the heat that makes you strong  
'Cause you're born to live and fight it all away  
You can't hide what lies inside you  
It's the only thing you've known  
You'll embrace it and never walk away  
Don't walk away 

"I'm a fucking superhero," Emma said causing Elphaba to laugh. She waved her hand and Emma could feel the traces of music fading.

"You'll still hear random bits of music for the next few days but you should be OK." Emma turned to face the witch, her eyes following the trails of moonlight that kissed the witch's cheeks like tears.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I don't know, Emma. I believe I will go back to loving you from afar as I have done for so long." With those words she waved her hand and Emma could feel the distance between them growing as a wind picked her up and twirled her backwards. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of green spires in the distance before they disappeared and were replaced by the counter at Granny's.

Emma squeaked as she felt flesh give beneath her and began to slide towards the floor. She was caught and righted by arms that felt familiar.

"Glad you could drop in, Ms. Swan," Regina said in a strained voice as she struggled to regain the breath Emma's landing had knocked from her. Emma had landed straddling the mayor and as her arms wound around Regina's neck to keep from toppling to the floor their eyes connected and it seemed as though the room fell away as their music surged upwards and outwards. Emma's eyes widened; what she had experienced with Elphaba was nothing compared to the connection that snapped between her and Regina. She groaned as Regina shifted beneath her. Lowering her lips to the brunette's, she shoved her hands into Regina's fly away locks and held her still as she kissed her with every bit of passion that she could put into a kiss. Regina moaned against her kiss and Emma rocked her body against the other woman's seeking as much contact and heat as she could between the two of them.

"Well that explains so much," Killian's voice said as the kiss ended and the music faded. Emma's eyes widened as she peered into Regina's.

"Search party," Regina said breathlessly as she licked her lips.

"Who's missing?" Emma asked worriedly. She knew it couldn't be Henry because no way would Regina be so calm.

"You were, Emma Swan!" Snow pointed to the floor and using her eyes directed Emma from Regina's lap. Emma groaned as she realized her mother, her father- her eyes swept the diner- the entire fucking town had just seen her practically have sex with Regina on a stool. "You can't call and let someone know you're fine? You forgot how to send a text?" The lecture followed her as she slid off Regina's lap, and Emma couldn't help but smile at the dazed expression Regina still wore.

"I don't think they have phone signal in Oz, mother," Emma said turning to grab the mug of hot cocoa that Ruby was sliding down the counter towards her. She heard several gasps behind her and steeled herself before turning around. "I didn't go to do anything. Elphaba whisked me away."

"And you found your song," Regina asked.

"We heard it, Emma!" Henry said excitedly as he broke through the crowd. "David kept his hand over my eyes but I heard your music!" Several people nodded and Emma noted that it was those closest to her. Snow wore a small smile as she thought back to the music that burst through the air as Emma kissed Regina. Emma shook her head and leaned down to hug her son. As she did she could hear a few notes lazily playing around him and she leaned back fascinated. Children really were innocent.

"I didn't even realize where I was until I was leav-" her eyes widened as music suddenly intruded. Her eyes locked on Belle who was looking at Gold with a smile. Emma saw the lie behind the smile and she wished that she could shut out the words that swam in her head. Belle's song.

_I never meant to start a war  
I just wanted you to let me in  
And instead of using force  
I guess I should've let you win  
I never meant to start a war  
I just wanted you to let me in  
I guess I should've let you win_

Don't you ever say I just walked away  
I will always want you 

What was that about, Emma wondered? "I'm safe, everyone. Thank you so much for the care and concern. Today has been quite the experience for me and I just want to go lie down."

"We have questions," Neil called out and Emma silenced him with a glare.

"You don't get an answer, Neil. You don't even get to ask the question."

"Do I?" Killian said from beside her, his eyes melting with emotion.

"You already know the answer, Killian," she said softly and he nodded.

"I hoped... I hoped that I could... I hoped," he finished, bringing Emma's hand to his lips and kissing them before turning away. "Goodbye, Emma."

"I don't think the kiss was necessary," David said and Regina grunted her agreement. The two shifted uncomfortably as they realized that they had just agreed on something.

"Emma, we need to talk," Snow said, her eyes glancing meaningfully at Regina.

"Now tonight, Snow, please. I promise we will talk soon, but for now, for tonight, I just want to... I just want to..."

"Go for a walk?" Regina offered and Emma smiled gratefully. Henry slid his hand into Snow's and smiled up at his grandparents. "Henry?"

"I want to spend the night with Snow and David, if that's OK. I have a lot of questions." Regina looked up as Snow nodded with a smile.

"OK, but you listen to them."

"I'll be good," Henry said to appease his mother and Regina smiled.

"I know you will be, honey. I love you."

"Love you too, moms." He was surprised when Emma suddenly swooped him into her arms and kissed him on his forehead.

"Love you, kid." Regina and Emma stepped out of the diner and watched as Henry kept up a constant chatter as he walked his grandparents home. As they reached the corner he smiled mischeviously over his shoulder and Emma laughed.

"Why that little matchmaker!" Regina said, Henry's meaningful look not lost on her either.

"I almost kissed Elphaba," Emma blurted out and Regina nodded as they she had made a comment on the weather.

"Her magic is very powerful in Oz. I'm surprised you were able to resist it actually."

"She's not you," Emma said quietly. "As much as our magic pulled together it was nothing compared to the connection I feel between you and me." Emma shifted uncomfortably. She hated talking about feelings. She sensed that Regina was the same in that regards. They might never get around to telling each other they were falling in love.

Emma tripped over her feet and nearly sprawled on the sidewalk. What the fuck did she just think to herself?! Even though it was an internal conversation she felt the urge to flee it. The panic was so real she struggled to even her breaths as Regina looked at her as though she had just gone completely crazy.

"Ms. Swan, I truly am beginning to believe that you are by far the clumsiest person I've ever met."

"I want you," Emma said as she tunneled everything she felt into something she understood- physical need. Her hands slid into the Mayor's hair and she kissed her softly and insistently. Regina seemed to melt into her and Emma wished that she and Regina were already in Regina's room. She looked up in surprise as the earth shifted and found that her wish had been fulfilled. Regina smiled against Emma's lips.

"That must have been a fervent wish to call the shoe's magic from where they're hidden."

"Oh, um, well..." Emma's stammering was quickly silenced as Regina's tongue traced her lips seeking entrance. Emma returned the mayor's kiss passionately and she wasn't surprised to hear strains of music begin to shimmer around the two. Emma didn't know if Regina heard it as well but the thought flew from her mind as Regina slid Emma's jacket down her arms and tugged the hem of her shirt. Emma lifted her arms as Regina pulled the shirt over Emma's head, her brown eyes watching as Emma's blonde curls cascaded over her shoulders.

"You're so beautiful," Regina whispered huskily. Her hands unbuttoned Emma's jeans but neither woman could stand to be separated for the time it took to slide them down Emma's legs. Their lips met softly, slowly and Emma ran her fingers along the line of Regina's jaw. She slowly divested Regina of her clothing, each woman loathe to leave the other's kiss. As they fell onto the bed, Emma opened her eyes and watched the emotions play across Regina's face as they kissed. At that moment the mayor opened her eyes and they stared into one another's eyes, their emotions and feelings clearly written in the depths of their shared gaze.

The music began to hum around them as Regina kissed Emma's jaw and neck as her fingers slid into Emma's pants and found the waistband of her boy shorts.

"Regina," Emma breathed as Regina's fingers probed lower, her movements slow, soft, stroking the heat nestled between Emma's legs.

_We'll do it all  
Everything  
On our own  
We don't need  
Anything  
Or anyone_

If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?  


Emma couldn't get enough of Regina's kisses. She melted into the other woman, shoving aside all her questions and doubts and simply being in the moment, letting this moment define her. She felt like a sap but she couldn't help the emotion that felt as though it would burst from her chest and throat. She pulled away slowly, sliding the last of her clothing to join Regina's on the floor before climbing back onto the bed. Her lips immediately found Regina's. Their hands stroked and touched each other, each curve, dip, divet, dimple, freckle was lavished attention.

Regina's fingers slid over Emma's slick sex and Emma threw back her head with a moan breaking their kiss. Her own fingers slid up Regina's thigh to tease her sex dewed lips. Regina's free hand came up to rest in Emma's curls as she pulled her down for a kiss as their fingers stroked and cajoled. As Regina spread her legs in surrender, Emma moaned into her mouth.

_I don't quite know  
How to say  
How I feel  
Those three words  
Are said too much  
They're not enough_

If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?  


Emma closed her eyes tightly as the words flowed from the music. She felt Regina gasp against her lips and opened her eyes to see the mayor looking at her wide eyed before dark lashes swept down to cover the emotion in her brown eyes. As she opened her eyes, her finger slid into Emma causing Emma to shudder under the combined influx of emotions she could see and the gentle rhythm Regina was setting with her fingers. Emma captured her lips again as her own fingers rubbed slow circles over Regina's clitoris before dipping lower to enter the dripping sex of the other woman.

"Emma," Regina breathed against her lips as her hips lifted from the bed. Their hands and fingers moved in tandem. Emma shut her eyes tightly against the wave of emotion flooding through her as Regina breathed her name as though it was connected to something precious. Emma couldn't stop the tear that slipped down her cheek.

_Forget what we're told  
Before we get too old  
Show me a garden that's bursting into life  
Let's waste time  
Chasing cars  
Around our heads  
I need your grace  
To remind me  
To find my own_

If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?  


"You're so beautiful," Regina murmured as she pulled Emma closer. Emma could taste the salt from her tears reach their kiss but Regina understood the emotion and didn't break their kiss, didn't break their moment. The tears were the moment that was defining something between them, defining things that Emma was letting go and things she was willing to finally understand. "You're so wonderful," Regina said as she kissed Emma's cheek, capturing the tears on her lips.

"I need you," Emma whispered her eyes catching Regina's. They didn't break eye contact as their fingers increased their speed. Emma gasped as Regina curled her fingers to stroke the special place within that only Regina had ever found. Emma gave everything to the brunette in that moment and she felt it being accepted and cherished. "I need you," she repeated, her eyes locked with Regina's.

_Forget what we're told  
Before we get too old  
Show me a garden that's bursting into life_

All that I am  
All that I ever was  
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see  


Emma closed her eyes as their sweat slicked bodies moved together, each giving and taking as they climbed towards the peak together. She leaned her head to rest her forehead against Regina's as she felt something tighten low in her body. Her breathing was erratic and she knew Regina was close as she felt her walls getting slicker and tightening. Emma opened her eyes and saw herself reflected in Regina's eyes in a way she never saw herself.

"Regina," she whispered, her voice speaking the name reverently as she worshiped the woman to whom it was attached. "Regina," she said again as she felt her fingers tip the other woman over the edge and into orgasm's abyss. As Regina moaned her name and thrust her hips into Emma's hand, Emma followed her lover over the edge as she rocked on Regina's fingers. Regina pulled Emma's mouth to hers and they kissed deeply as their bodies shook together.

_I don't know where  
Confused about how as well  
Just know that these things will never change for us at all_

If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world? 

"Emma," Regina murmured as the music swirled around them. Emma felt as though she were suffocating under the weight of their mutual emotions. She was relieved that Regina said nothing but pulled her closer. They twined their bodies together, their legs wrapping around the others. Emma rested her head on Regina's shoulder nuzzling her face into her neck. The weight of everything pressed her down into Regina and towards sleep. She kissed Regina's neck as she slid into the safety of sleep where words and feelings weren't trying to burst from her.


End file.
